Tennis Elbow

by Bobbi Jo Chapman, OTR/L, CHT

Tennis elbow is clinically known as lateral epicondylitis. Unlike its commonly known name suggests, this disorder is not only seen in tennis players. Symptoms usually present as pain on the lateral, or outside, of the elbow. An inflammation of the common tendon of the muscles that move the wrist and rotate the forearm is the presumed cause of this tendonitis.

  Onset is seen in individuals 35-50 years of age. The ratio of male to female is equal. The condition may be gradual and is associated with repetitive gripping or repetitive wrist and elbow motions. Some diagnosis’ that should be ruled out are compression of the radial nerve, cervical spine involvement, shoulder involvement, or arthritis.

  Therapy for tennis elbow may include any or all of the following: stretching, strengthening, icing, ultrasound or phonophoresis (the therapeutic application of ultrasound used in conjunction with a topical drug to facilitate transdermal delivery), iontophoresis (the use of electrical current to deliver medication to affected tissues), and strapping or splinting. A physician may use cortisone injections. If the symptoms do not respond to conservative treatments, surgery may be required.