Health – Tennis elbow without the tennis

While the name implies a gentle and rather benign injury, the actual injury is much more severe and can be very debilitating. The injury is described as a tearing of the tendons from their bony elbow attachment, often associated with a lot of pain and inflammation. While it is often a ‘wear and tear’ injury, there are also acute cases from very heavy trauma.

In tennis elbow, the tendons on the outside of the elbow (directly up from the thumb) are involved. Golfers elbow is essentially the same but involves the tendons from the inside aspect of the elbow.

Like all injuries, the degree of damage can vary greatly from the mildly acute to the severe, complex and chronic. While some argue that it can ‘heal’ on its own, there are two reasons for disregarding this: They can easily regress from mild to severe and not addressing them often results in excessive loading to the neck and shoulder. This often leads to other problems.

To assess these injuries, the best method is ultrasound, which shows the integrity of the tendons as well as inflammation and the ‘age’ of the condition to some degree as well. Not only does ultrasound help with a definitive diagnosis, but it can also help estimate the likely recovery time.

Initial treatment nearly always includes some degree of rest, even if that means via a brace or kinesio-tape. Ice, compression and elevation all help with the inflammation, as will anti-inflammatories, and in severe cases steroid injections may be considered.

When the inflammation settles, treatment on the muscle tissue can significantly reduce pain and increase use. In some cases releasing muscle spasm can reduce the recovery time by weeks. While ice is best for the inflammation, heat applied to the muscle (away from the inflamed area) will also help the muscle.

The end stage of the treatment is often the most critical. Looking at how to avoid re-injuring the elbow and how best to use the arm most efficiently is critical. Often changing a work/sport technique needs to be included for the best long term outcome.Kinesio-tape is brilliant for helping to increase muscle efficiency and reducing muscle and tendon overloading. Specific tennis elbow braces are also good, but can be a little cumbersome in some applications. The best treatment for tennis elbow is like that for many injuries – early intervention gives the best outcome and reduces chances of complications. Don’t put up with it, get it sorted!