Have you got Tennis Elbow without playing tennis?

Tennis elbow is a common condition that describes pain over the outside of the elbow which may spread down the forearm.

Although it may be related to playing tennis, it is now most commonly related to using a computer mouse. The root of the problem is an inflammation of the tendons of the forearm muscles, & depending on severity it can take 2 months to 2 years to heal fully.

Tennis elbow is usually caused by activities which involve prolonged gripping or movement of the wrist such as mouse & keyboard use, hammering, driving screws, or playing racquet sports. Weakness & tightness in the forearm muscles make developing tennis elbow more likely, & it can also occur because of a single blow to the forearm.

The pain usually increases over time and is often felt during activities which involve gripping, lifting, carrying, mousing/typing, or general things such as pouring from a kettle.

The pain can go away after stopping the aggravating activity but if you repeat this activity soon after, the pain is likely to return & can get progressively worse unless appropriate treatment is started.

Your physiotherapist can diagnose tennis elbow from your history & by testing your muscles as they contract, feeling the tendons & muscles for tenderness, & checking the joints in the area. Sometimes your neck, shoulder, or nerves in the area can contribute to the problem, so these are also checked.

Tennis elbow is essentially an over-strain injury, so an initial priority is to stop or modify the activity aggravating the condition to start with. The extent to which you will be able to do this obviously depends on things such as is it a hobby or is it necessary for work.

It is best to avoid the activity all together for at least 2 weeks to give time for the inflammation to settle. If this is not possible it is important to at least modify the activity in order not to provoke symptoms, & your physiotherapist can help greatly with this by supplying a small support strap.

• Physiotherapy helps with pain relief & exercises for stretching & strengthening the forearm muscles, as well as treatments to improve the healing capacity of the injured tendon.

Your physiotherapist will also give advice about activity modification, & a brace to take the load off the tendon if this is necessary. Once the pain has settled, specific strengthening is vital to reduce the likelihood of a recurrence.

• Your GP can prescribe the anti-inflammatory medications for you if necessary. In some cases that are very slow to heal a steroid injection may be suggested to help relieve pain & inflammation, and allow complete healing to take place.