It’s finally warming up, and for some of you that means your favorite activities are back in season! The sunshine makes for quite an enjoyable round of golf, tennis match, and so much more. With a ramp up in activities with lots of repetition like golf or tennis, you might start to notice more soreness than you usually feel, so start slow. 

Tennis elbow, also known as lateral epicondylitis, is a common condition that affects the tendons that attach to the outside of the elbow. It causes pain and tenderness in the outer part of the elbow, which can radiate down the forearm. We want to explore the causes of tennis elbow, its symptoms, and the common rehabilitation strategies used to treat the condition, but always recommend you see a healthcare professional for evaluation before starting any rehab 

or training programs.

Tennis elbow is often caused by repetitive activities that strain the tendons in the elbow. Some of the most common causes include:

• Repetitive wrist extension: Activities that involve repetitive wrist extension, such as playing tennis, can lead to the development of tennis elbow.

• Manual labor: Jobs that require repetitive gripping, such as construction or plumbing, can also lead to tennis elbow.

• Age: As people age there tends to be less activity overall in their life, which can lead to the dreaded “if you don’t use it, you lose it” phenomenon. As this occurs, the capacity of the tendon decreases, and it can be easier to develop overload issues from simple everyday tasks.

The most common symptom of tennis elbow is pain and tenderness on the outside of the elbow. This pain may radiate down the forearm and may worsen with gripping or lifting objects (especially if the arm is straight). Other symptoms may include:

• Stiffness in the elbow joint
• Weakness in the forearm and hand
• Difficulty in fully extending the arm
• Swelling around the elbow joint

Treatment for tennis elbow usually involves a combination of modified activity and rehabilitation exercises. Often in error, people are told to rest a sore tendon in hopes that this will lead to resolution, but unfortunately, rest simply kicks the can down the road and can prolong a tendon injury.  Instead, tendons appreciate a progressive strengthening program to gradually regain tolerance to all of your life’s activities.

Just like with everything else we talk about, it’s important to speak to your medical professional before making any quick decisions. If you have questions please reach out and our fantastic team of clinicians and trainers would be more than happy to help! Enjoy this lovely weather and keep these things in mind as you go about your favorite activities!