Tennis Elbow (Lateral Epicondylitis): Overview

Tennis Elbow (Lateral Epicondylitis): Overview

This video will provide an overview of tennis elbow. Many of the forearm muscles are connected to the outer side of the elbow by the same tendon. The common extensor tendon is formed from the joining of tendons from 4 different muscles that help control movement of the wrist and fingers. Tennis elbow, also known as lateral epicondylitis, occurs when this common tendon becomes irritated or strained. Most often, tennis elbow specifically affects the tendon of the extensor carpi brevis muscle, or E C R B, that helps extend the wrist.

Tennis elbow is the most common cause of elbow pain. It occurs in 1% to 3% of the population, most often in people over 40 years of age, and equally affects men and women. Despite its name, tennis elbow affects more than just tennis players. While about half of tennis players are affected by tennis elbow at some point, tennis players make up only 10% of cases of tennis elbow. The majority of cases of tennis elbow result from work-related duties that involve repeated movement of the elbow and wrist. Office workers, factory workers, artists, musicians, mechanics, and other jobs requiring heavy manual labor are at an increased risk of tennis elbow. Tennis elbow also commonly occurs in other sports like gymnastics and weightlifting.

Tennis elbow develops from repeated stress at the common extensor tendon at the outer side of the elbow. This causes degeneration, or breakdown, of the tendon fibers. Symptoms of tennis elbow include pain and tenderness at the outer side of the elbow, which may also travel down the forearm, and decreased grip strength. Range of motion of the elbow is typically not affected. Pain usually begins without a specific injury, and is often made worse with lifting or activities that involve extension of the wrist since these movements place more tension on the tendon.

A health care provider can usually diagnose tennis elbow based on a patient's symptoms and a physical examination. A health care provider will ask a patient about their work duties, exercise habits, type and length of symptoms, and activities that make the symptoms worse. They will also examine the arm to check for tenderness to the touch, and move and test the strength of the wrist to check for pain at the elbow. While imaging is often not needed to make a diagnosis, an ultrasound or MRI may show thickened scar tissue, swelling, or tearing of the tendon. After making a diagnosis, a health care provider will then recommend the next steps to help manage symptoms from tennis elbow.

In summary, tennis elbow results from irritation of the common extensor tendon at the elbow, most often from the ECRB muscle that extends the wrist. While it affects tennis players and other active people, it most often results as a work-related condition. Pain and decreased grip strength result, and a diagnosis can be made from a physical examination alone.