Tennis Elbow (technical name is lateral epicondylitis) is the term given to an inflamed tendon attached to the bony outer part of the elbow. The tendon tissues may be inflamed or partially torn in more extreme conditions. It is estimated that about 50% of recreational tennis players will get tennis elbow at some point in their tennis career. There is a similar condition called Golfer’s Elbow (medial epicondylitis) which affects the inside part of the elbow.

Tennis elbow is a repetitive stress type injury and is not just limited to tennis players. It is common to many manual repetitive tasks involving repeated shocks to the wrist and upper arm. In tennis, there are several factors which increase the likelihood of having tennis elbow which include:

1) Age (a greater tendency for people older than about 35)

2) Frequency of play (greater than 3 times/week)

3) Lack of flexibility or strength in arm and wrist

4) Poor technique on ground strokes

5) Frequent off-center hitting (not hitting the ball in the ‘sweet spot’ of the racket)

6) Holding the racket too tightly

The impact of the racket with the ball causes vibrations to travel up through the racket into the arm and elbow. In addition, with every shot there are repeated contractions of the forearm muscle. This can cause inflammation and sometimes degeneration of the tissue on the outside of the elbow.

Symptoms:

1) Sharp pain on outside of elbow

2) Pain radiates down arm (not in all cases)

3) Pain while extending wrist or lifting objects.

4) Outside of elbow painful to the touch

5) Loss of grip strength

Initial treatment:

1) Rest from tennis for about 1 week

2) Apply ice to the affected area for 15-20 minutes, 3-4 times daily

3) To relieve pain and inflammation take an appropriate medication over the counter medication.

4) Use an elbow brace to redirect pressure away from the inflamed elbow

5) Consult a doctor if pain persists.

Exercises to improve strength and flexibility:

1) Hold out your injured arm straight with your palm facing down

2) Hold the back of this hand with your other uninjured hand and press the fingers down gently so they point down towards the ground

3) You should feel a light stretch in your forearm.  Stop if you feel any pain.

4) Hold out your injured arm straight, but this time with your palm facing upwards.

5) Now press down your hand using your uninjured hand.

6) You should feel a light stretch in your forearm.  Stop if you feel any pain

7) Use your fingers to massage the muscles in your forearm and any tender areas

Use a massage stick on your forearm muscles and any tender areas.

9) There are some excellent wrist and forearm exercises given in “Complete Conditioning for Tennis” by E.Paul Roetert and Todd S. Ellenbecker.

To avoid getting tennis elbow one of the best tennis tips is to work with a tennis professional to make sure you are hitting the ball properly. You could also play using a racket with a more flexible shaft and with a lower tension in the strings. This should dampen any vibrations that travel through the racket to your arm. Also, try relaxing your grip and release your grip between points by supporting the weight of your racket with your other hand under the racket-head.

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