Tennis Elbow (Lateral Epicondylitis)

Symptoms & Causes

Treatments

Symptoms

Outer elbow pain on twisting movements of the wrist such as when opening a door as well as when gripping small objects such as a pen which may travel down the forearm
Tenderness on touching the outside of the elbow
Elbow stiffness, especially in the morning, when fully extending the elbow
Mild swelling and heat over the outer elbow

Playing racquet sports such as tennis but other sports can also cause this to develop including throwing sports
Overuse of the muscles in the forearm such as when using garden sheers, a screwdriver while decorating
Activities that require fine, repetitive hand and wrist control such as typing, drawing or sewing
Activities that involve repeated elbow bending such as playing a violin

Wrist flexors stretch
- Extend one arm out in front with the elbow straight
- Use the other hand to grasp the palm of the hand and bend the wrist so that the fingers are pointing towards the floor
- Hold the stretch for approximately 30 seconds and breathe deeply throughout
Wrist extensor strengthening
- Place your forearm on a table or arm rest with the wrist unsupported, palm facing down
- With a weight in your hand, extend the wrist, raising the weight towards the ceiling then, slowly lower the weight towards the floor
- Repeat 8-10 times, rest 1 minute and repeat. Ensure the movement is controlled and no pain is felt in the elbow