Tennis Elbow (Lateral Epicondylitis) Conditions
What is it?
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Typically, an overuse injury to the tendon that attaches forearm muscles to the bony prominence on the outside of the below (lateral epicondyle).
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It is commonly brought on by repetitive movements, especially gripping activities.
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Although common in racquet sports, many activities can cause tennis elbow.
Typical Symptoms/features:
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Pain over the outside of the elbow which may radiate into the forearm.
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Pain on lifting, twisting, and gripping tasks e.g. turning keys, lifting kettle.
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Worse with repetitive actions.
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Weakness with gripping activities.
Management:
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Activity modification
- When you first start noticing elbow pain, it may help to reduce your activity for a short amount of time to allow the pain to settle.
- However, there is strong evidence that says keeping active and slowly returning to your normal levels of activity can actually help the pain to settle quicker.
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Ice or heat.
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Pain relief.
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Physiotherapy including range of movement exercises and a graded strengthening programme.
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Some find a tennis elbow brace useful when performing aggravating activities.
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Per current NICE guidelines, corticosteroid injections should NOT be offered as this is associated with worse outcomes at 6 months (https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/tennis-elbow/management/management/).
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Orthopaedic options: If there has not been any response to treatment in 6-12 months, an orthopaedic referral may be offered. However, current surgical management has not shown to be any more effective than placebo.
Do I need imaging?
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Imaging (X-rays or scans) is rarely required to diagnose tennis elbow.
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X-rays and scans are most appropriately used after a serious injury.
