- by Adam Bernard, Registered Physiotherapist
Lateral epicondylitis or tennis
elbow is a common injury we see as physiotherapists. It involves inflammation around the bony aspects of the
outside of the elbow. This can be
a painful experience and can have a long healing process.
It can be caused by direct trauma to
the outside of the elbow or more commonly by overuse of the wrist extensor
muscles. Wrist extensor tendons
attach to the outside part of the elbow and are responsible for controlling
some of the movements of the wrist.
The dominant hand is most often the side that is affected.
Lateral epicondylitis usually
presents with some or all of the following: diffuse achiness, morning
stiffness, occasional pain through the night, pain with gripping, dropping
objects, or tender to touch the outside of the elbow. Lateral epicondylitis is not limited to problems at
the elbow as the shoulder and neck can also have a contribution to the onset of
pain. The elbow pain can start acutely where the pain is abrupt or
the pain can be a gradual onset.
Many jobs require heavy lifting,
repetitive motions, or prolonged gripping which can all lead to lateral
epicondylitis. It is common in
jobs such as construction/electrical or jobs that require large volumes of
typing. There are a number of recreational
activities that can cause this type of injury. As we move into summer some of the more common activities
include kayaking, wake boarding, golf, squash, racquetball, weight lifting,
baseball, and of course tennis.
There are a number of treatments used to treat tennis
elbow. One common treatment you
may see people using is a tennis elbow brace which can help reduce the strain
on the affected muscles and tendons.
Other treatment options may include: rest, ice, modalities such as ultra sound and IFC to reduce
inflammation, stretches, and strengthening.
Some ways to minimize your chances
of developing lateral epicondylitis include:
1) Reducing repetitive activities
or using your non-dominant hand more often.
2) Reduce forceful grasping.
3)
Take frequent breaks.
In terms of sport it is important to ease yourself into the sport as the
new season starts. You don’t have
to go on a 3 hour kayak on your first day out!
Following a few or all of these
guidelines may help reduce or avoid this painful condition that can so often
take months to heal completely.
This is
provided as general information only and is not intended to be relied upon as
medical advice. Adam Bernard is a registered physiotherapist and associate
at Sun City Physiotherapy’s Glenmore’s location. He can be contacted at Glenmore@suncityphysiotherapy.com
