Tennis
elbow is a discomfort felt over the outside of the elbow. There
is usually associated tenderness in the same region over a localised
spot. Tennis elbow is found, most commonly, in housewives and
manual workers who are doing a lot of lifting and using the
muscles of the forearm. It is not particularly common amongst
tennis players but, if present, continuing to play games such
as tennis, or carrying on with repetitive work or heavy lifting,
will make tennis elbow more painful and disabling. The pain
can vary from mild, to moderately severe and prolonged .The
condition is probably due to the tearing of the tendinous tissues
where the muscles of the back of the forearm are attached to
the bone at the outside border of the elbow. The condition does
tend to be self-limiting but can take many months to get better
and can recur. A test to diagnose tennis elbow is to place the
hand face down on a table and then try to lift the fingers against
downward pressure. This will, usually, set off the typical pain.
A similar condition on the inner side of the elbow is known
as "Golfer's elbow". It is a lot less common.
Rest is important. The elbow will settle quicker if heavy, or repetitive, work is avoided. Local rubs such as an NSAID ( non-steroidal anti-inflammatory) gel may help, as can ultrasound treatment or friction massage. A tennis elbow splint, available at some pharmacies and sports shops is helpful both for the prevention and treatment and can help reduce further damage. The most common successful treatment, however, is injection into the painful area with corticosteroid, often mixed with local anaesthetic. Sometimes the injection needs to be repeated once or twice. In chronic cases NSAIDS by mouth may be used, and in the most resistant cases, surgery , to sever the damaged tissue from the bone, is carried out. For those playing tennis and the like, a "fat" handle to the racquet, built up with tape or whatever, may help a little. |
