The name of this condition would suggest that tennis elbow is suffered by athletes who play tennis or squash. However, this ailment has little to do with the sport. The majority of people who suffer from this condition perform frequent, repetitive wrist movements that overload the wrist extensor muscles. They are mainly manual workers, mechanics or IT professionals. The characteristic pain, which appears on the outside of the elbow joint, can sometimes make daily functioning much more difficult. Learn about the causes, symptoms and treatment of tennis elbow.
Tennis elbow - symptoms
The main symptom of this disease is a stinging or burning sensation pain in the elbow areawhich may radiate to the wrist or arm. The affected person may also experience a lack of strength in the hand and a problem with clenching the hand into a fist. It is a rather troublesome condition that can make it difficult to perform even basic daily tasks, such as grasping or lifting lightweight objects. In the advanced stage, the pain may even be present at rest.
Tennis elbow - causes
Repetitive and intensive forearm and wrist movements, during which the collagen fibres in the tendons are micro-damaged, are thought to contribute to this condition. Degenerative changes also occur during minor trauma, which disrupts the blood supply to the attachment area. Situations in which we expose ourselves to overloads and micro-injuries that cause tennis elbow can be many. Carrying a child for hours on one hand, working at a computer, poor tennis technique or construction work - these and many other activities can all contribute to this painful condition.
Treatment options for tennis elbow
In order to effectively treat tennis elbow, it is first necessary to find out the source of the problem. To do this, an orthopaedic surgeon or physiotherapist, after taking a history and physical examination, should order an ultrasound examination. In this way, the diagnosis can be confirmed and the extent of the damage determined. The treatment depends on the cause of the pain. The basic principle in the treatment of tennis elbow is rest, sparing the arm and regeneration of damaged tissue. If the overload has occurred during physical work or sport, it is worth avoiding pain-inducing activities so that the tissue has the right conditions for healing. However, there is a procedure to speed up regeneration, during which platelet-rich plasma with growth factors (PRP) is injected.
The condition can also be treated massagesshock therapy or ultrasound. In special cases where the above therapies do not work, a traditional operation may be performed. During such an operation, the doctor cuts away the attachment and removes the damaged tissue with the periosteum. Recovery is fairly short, so after three months you can return to work or your previous physical activity.
