Also known as “lateral epicondylitis”, tennis elbow doesn’t just develop in tennis players. You don’t even have to be an athlete or play sports at all. I’ve personally treated nurses and those who work in the construction industry who have had it.
What is it?
Lateral epicondylitis is basically inflammation at the site where the muscles and tissues of the top of the forearm, wrist and hand attach to the outside bony structure of the elbow. It’s painful and can make everyday tasks a challenge. It may be painful to turn a doorknob, a screwdriver, wring out a washcloth, etc. Even holding a cup might be painful. Many things that require the use of the muscles on the top side of your forearm can cause this pain. The pain can also be located in the forearm or wrist, although this seems to be less common in my own professional experience. Muscles knots (a.k.a. trigger points) may also be a factor contributing to pain in the forearm.
Causes and risk factors
Basically, overuse and straining of the muscles are the cause. Anything that causes repeated contraction of the forearm muscles that are involved in straightening your hand and raising your wrist can lead to tennis elbow. These repetitive and straining activities put extra stress on the muscles and connective tissues, such as tendons, and their attachment site. Think about using a computer mouse and pulling your fingers up away from the mouse after clicking or using the scroll wheel. Maybe you’re a writer, editor, graphic designer, secretary at a school or a nurse who documents on your patients repeatedly throughout an eight or 12 hour shift. There is repetitive stress placed on the structures mentioned previously that contribute to the development of lateral epicondylitis.
Maybe you’re fiercely competitive when it comes to ping pong, tennis, racket ball, badminton or another sport that uses a racket.
The backswing specifically is what may contribute to the development of tennis elbow. Also age. If you happen to be between the ages of 30 and 50 you may be at a higher risk. I’m smack dab in the middle here.
Treatment
Rest, ice and over-the-counter pain relievers according to the Mayo Clinic. Massage can help to alleviate tension in the muscles, on the tendons and in other connective tissues. This can speed the recovery from tennis elbow. One thing that I incorporate is ice massage at the beginning of the treatment session. I may use a dixie cup with ice and massage the attachment site at the elbow. This helps calm the irritated and inflamed tissues before I work with them. I then apply Swedish techniques, deep tissue, pin and stretch, a few other techniques depending on the situation and then back to Swedish to make nice with the tissues to finish.
You may also try using a tennis elbow brace to decrease tension on the attachment site. If the pain persists past what seems to be a reasonable period of time then you may want to consider making an appointment with your family doctor.
About the author: Ethan Pariseau is a registered nurse with a bachelor of science in nursing and is licensed by the state medical board of Ohio to practice massage therapy.