Winning the Match Against Tennis Elbow

Despite the name, tennis isn’t the only cause of the common arm condition known as “tennis elbow.” Lateral Epicondylitis, as it’s less commonly called, is a painful condition in the forearm caused by overuse of the involved muscles. Tennis elbow can happen as a result of many different sports or occupations in which the forearm muscles are often overworked.

Anatomy

Your elbow is made up of your two forearm bones (radius and ulna) and your upper arm bone (humerus). The two parts of the arm come together to form the elbow joint. You have two bumpy bony structures called epicondyles at the bottom of the humerus—a lateral (outside) and medial (inside) epicondyle. The lateral epicondyle is the structure most important to this condition. It serves as the attachment site for a group of muscles within the forearm called the wrist extensor muscles, which are responsible for extending your wrist.

Causes

The namesake sport of tennis elbow contributes to the condition when the wrist extensor muscles are used during a stroke to stabilize the wrist. Continuous overuse of these muscles for multiple strokes per game, multiple games per match, and multiple matches during a season may weaken the muscles and cause painful inflammation. Athletes aren’t the only ones who may develop this condition. Studies show that auto workers, painters, butchers, carpenters, and other professions requiring significant use of the wrist extensor muscles to move, lift, and work with heavier loads may develop the condition at higher rates than average.

Treatment

Following a specific exercise plan designed to help stretch and strengthen your elbow muscles is often a great place to start in preventing tennis elbow or alleviating the condition. These exercises promote muscle endurance and increase the capability of your muscles to resist stress. Here are a few simple exercises that you can begin at home that may help decrease your pain and get you back in action.

Wrist Extensor Stretch

1. Straighten your arm with your palm facing down and bend your wrist so that your fingers point down.
2. Gently pull your hand up and toward your body until you feel a stretch on the outside of your forearm. Hold the stretch for 15 seconds.
3. Repeat the stretch five times, then perform this stretch with the other arm.
4. Repeat the whole exercise three to four times throughout the day.

Wrist Curls

1. Begin with your palm facing down in a fist.
2. Bend your wrist up as far as possible. Hold the stretch for one count, then slowly lower for three counts.
3. Gradually increase the number of repetitions you can do in a set to 30 before you start adding weights for greater strength.

Forearm Supination and Pronation

1. Begin with your palm facing the side.
2. Slowly turn the palm so it faces up.
3. Slowly return to the starting position before slowly turning the palm so it faces down.
4. Slowly return to the starting position again to complete one repetition.
5. Gradually increase the number of repetitions you can do in a set to 30 before you start adding weights for greater strength.

If you continue to experience pain, schedule an appointment with us. We will connect you with one of our physical therapists, who are specially trained in developing personalized rehabilitation plans. Don’t let tennis elbow get in the way of your game—contact us today. Call (559) 713-6806 to schedule an evaluation, or request an appointment here. Learn more about elbow, wrist, and hand problems.