Repetative Strain Injuries

Repetative Strain Injuries Introduction

What is tennis elbow?

Lateral Epicondylitis or Tennis Elbow is a condition that results in pain around the outside of the elbow & for most this pain only occurs when using twisting movements such as turning a door handle or opening a jar. Although in some cases the pain may be constant travelling down your arm from your elbow towards your wrist making daily living difficult. For example, holding a knife or a fork as the arm can become stiff. The site of the pain in tennis elbow is where some tendons from your forearm muscles attach to the bone around your elbow. The pain is thought to be due to an injury, or several tiny injuries, to one or more of these tendons resulting in a tear which in turn leads to inflammation & scarring.

What Causes the Condition?

Overuse is the primary cause of this condition, working the forearm muscles repeatedly, either within sport:

Playing racquet sports
Sports that involve throwing - such as the javelin or discuss
Swimming

Or within the workplace from carrying out repetative tasks:

Manual work that involves turning or lifting of the wrist - plumbing or bricklaying
Fine movements of the hand and wrist, such as typing or using scissors

The symptoms of Tennis Elbow can last for some time as the tendons are slow to heal, for mild to moderate cases expect from a number of weeks to months. At its most severe pain can persist for more than a year. However the pain will eventually subside with or without treatment.

Non-surgical treatment is always recommended in the first instance & you should rest the affected area. Refrain from any activity which might place the tendons under unnecessary stress or cause further irritation.

Anti-inflammatory creams and gels are often recommended for tennis elbow rather than anti-inflammatory tablets. This is because gels and creams provide effective pain relief and reduce inflammation without causing side effects, such as nausea and diarrhoea.

A corticosteroid injection (medication containing a steroid) can be recommended if you have a particularly painful tennis elbow that is making movement difficult. Most people who have a corticosteroid injection find that their pain initially improves significantly. However, studies have shown that this treatment is only effective in the short-term (around six weeks) & its long-term effectiveness is poor.

If your tennis elbow symptoms are particularly severe or persistent, you may choose to seek further professional guidance & meet with a medical practitioner. A physiotherapist will be able to show you exercises to help stretch and strengthen your forearm muscles. They may also recommend that you wear a splint or support to help & encourage the tendons to heal.

Surgery should only be considered as a last resort in the treatment of severe or persistent tennis elbow, this aims to relieve the painful symptoms by removing the damaged part of the tendon

Self-care advice - Prevention

Rather than using your wrist and elbow more than the rest of your arm, try spreading the load to the larger muscles of your shoulder and upper arm.
If you play a sport that uses repetitive movements, such as tennis, you could get professional advice about your technique so that you do not strain your elbow.
Before playing a sport that involves repetitive arm movements, such as tennis or squash, warm up beforehand and gently stretch your arm muscles to help you avoid injury.
Use lightweight tools or racquets, and enlarge their grip size, to help you avoid putting excess strain on your tendons.
Wear a tennis elbow splint when you are using your arm, and take it off while you are resting or sleeping to help prevent further damage to your tendons. Ask your GP or physiotherapist for advice about the best type of brace or splint for you to use.
Increasing the strength of your forearm muscles can help prevent tennis elbow. A physiotherapist can advise you about suitable exercises to build up the muscles of your forearm.

Interesting Facts

In around three quarters of cases of tennis elbow, the dominant hand (the one that is used the most) is affected.
Tennis elbow is fairly uncommon. Approximately five in every 1,000 adults in the UK are affected by the condition each year.
Tennis elbow usually occurs in adults. Men and woman are affected equally. The condition tends to affect people who are around 40 years old.
Despite being called tennis elbow, racquet sports are only thought to be the cause in about 5 in every 100 people.
It mainly affects people between the ages of 35 and 55. Women and men are affected equally.