Contrary to its name, tennis elbow affects many people other than athletes. Tennis elbow occurs when overused muscles in the hand, arm, or forearm cause elbow pain. The condition is medically referred to as lateral epicondylitis because of injury to the lateral epicondyle, the protruding region of bone on the outside of your elbow.
Not surprisingly, tennis elbow is common among tennis players and other racquet sport professionals. However, any type of repeated motion that uses the tendons of the outer forearm can lead to tennis elbow. According to Mayo Clinic, some of the professions particularly at risk for developing tennis elbow include carpenters, painters, and butchers. Additionally, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) reports that most patients with tennis elbow are between the ages of 30 and 50. Nevertheless, anyone with the right combination of risk factors is susceptible. Tennis elbow affects approximately one to three percent of the population, affecting more men than women, and up to 50% of all tennis players. Surprisingly, less than five percent of the total number of reported cases of tennis elbow are actually correlated with playing tennis.
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Symptoms of tennis elbow tend to arise gradually. The most common complaints are pain or a burning sensation along the outer elbow as well as a weakened grip. Tennis elbow often affects the dominant arm, but it can also occur in the non-dominant one or both. Furthermore, the pain increases when shaking hands, squeezing objects, and forcibly steadying or moving the wrist. Simple tasks like lifting items, opening jars, and using utensils suddenly become complicated and painful with tennis elbow.
A tennis elbow is typically diagnosed with a physical examination, not usually requiring X-rays or other tests. As with most muscle injuries, suggested treatment methods include rest, physical therapy, pain medications, steroid injections, and arm braces. The AAOS states that approximately 80% to 95% of patients improve with such a regimen, but for the remaining sufferers, surgery can serve as a last resort.
In short, you certainly don’t need to be a tennis player, or even an athlete of any kind, to get tennis elbow. If your career path involves similar constant forearm movements, make sure to practice proper form, and perhaps wear a brace to avoid future injury and potential long-term pain.
