Tennis elbow

Spring is right around the corner and everyone is gearing up for outdoor sports.  Racquet sports like tennis, and many other sports, carry the risk of tennis elbow.  What is it?  Basically, a strain of the muscle attachment at the outside of the elbow.  The bone on the outside of the elbow will hurt when you press on it, and extending the wrist against resistance (such as in a backhand) will cause a sharp pain at the outside of the elbow and forearm.  Anyone can get tennis elbow.  It can be caused by sources of repetitive strain other than tennis – such as weight training, typing, etc.  Most often tennis elbow occurs in people in their 40’s and 50’s, but anyone can get it.  It usually will go away on its own but in some cases, may last a couple of years, so it’s a good idea to address it early so you can get back to your sports as soon as possible.  A couple of simple stretching and strengthening exercises can also help prevent tennis elbow.  See my tennis elbow handout on this page for more information.