Tennis Elbow & Golfer's Elbow

Clinically it is called lateral epicondylitis. It presents as a pain to the outside of the elbow and can at times progress into the forearm.

It is an overuse injury to the muscles in the forearm which straighten the wrist.

Despite the name, this type of injury does not only affect tennis players. Any activity that puts repeated stress on the elbow and wrist combined can cause it. People who complete repetitive one-sided daily activities such as computer users and manual labourers often report symptoms in their dominant hand.

There is no agreed gold-standard treatment for tennis or golfer’s elbow.

However, there are some general principles of treatment which should be taken into consideration.

Treatment should be aimed at managing the pain, preserving range of movement, improved grip strength and endurance, return to normal function and prevent further deterioration.

I would address this using manual therapy and some specific stretching and strengthening exercises which has been shown to speed up recovery and may prevent reoccurrence once those activities are resumed.

Yes. It is a self-limiting condition, which means the inflammation should settle down and the symptoms reduce gradually, as long as the aggravating activities are stopped.

Without any treatment symptoms can take 12-18 months to resolve.

Manual therapy and specific exercises have been shown to speed up recovery.

Repetitive stress on the muscles which extend the wrist. It is a common degenerative tendinopathy.

Some research has shown that there is a relationship between elbow pain and further issues either at the wrist joint, or the shoulder/neck. Therefore, we will assess these joints also.