Tennis Elbow

Tennis elbow happens mostly in patients between the ages of 30 years to 50 years. It can occur in any age group. Tennis elbow can affect as many as half of athletes in racquet sports. However, most patients with tennis elbow are not active in racquet sports. Most of the time, there is not a specific traumatic injury before symptoms start. Many individuals with tennis elbow are involved in work or recreational activities that require repetitive and vigorous use of the forearm muscles. Some patients develop tennis elbow without any specific recognizable activity leading to symptoms.

Symptoms

The main symptom of tennis elbow is pain and tenderness on the outside of the elbow. You may also experience pain and in your forearm as well. The pain is often worse when you use your arm and elbow, particularly for twisting movements.

The symptoms of tennis elbow can vary in severity, but you will usually experience those that are listed below.

• Recurring pain on the outside of your upper forearm, just below the bend of the elbow. Sometimes, pain may also be felt down your arm towards the wrist.
• Pain that is caused by lifting, or bending, your arm.
• Pain when writing, or when gripping small objects, such as a pen.
• Pain when twisting your forearm - for example, when turning a door handle.
• Difficulty extending your forearm fully.

The pain that is caused by tennis elbow usually lasts for between 6-12 weeks. However, some people have pain for as little as three weeks, while others may experience discomfort in their elbow joint for several years.

The pain can range from mild discomfort when using your elbow, to severe pain that can be felt even when your elbow is still, or when you are sleeping. You may have stiffness in your arm, which gets progressively worse as the damage to your tendon increases.

As your body tries to compensate for the weakness in your elbow, you may also experience pain, or stiffness, in other parts of the affected arm, the shoulder, or neck.