What is tennis elbow?
Lateral epicondylitis, commonly known as tennis elbow, is inflammation of the tendon that connects the muscles of the forearm, wrist, and hand to the upper arm at the elbow. The tendon on the bony outside (lateral) part of the elbow (the epicondyle) is most often irritated by overuse during physical activity.
Tennis elbow is an injury to the muscles and tendons on the outside (lateral aspect) of the elbow that results from overuse or repetitive stress. The narrowing of the muscle bellies of the forearm as they merge into the tendons create highly focused stress where they insert into the bone of the elbow.
Tennis elbow, or lateral epicondylitis, is a painful condition that affects the outside or lateral side of the elbow and can cause pain even when gripping or carrying a very light object like a coffee cup. About half of all tennis players will experience tennis elbow at some point in their lives, yet tennis players only account for about 5% of all those who suffer from tennis elbow, as the condition can be brought on by many activities. Tennis elbow is often confused with two other painful conditions: golfer’s elbow or medial epicondylitis, and bursitis. Golfer’s elbow is brought about by the same types of activities as tennis elbow, but the pain is primarily felt on the inside of the elbow rather than the outside, while the pain of bursitis is at the back of the elbow. Tennis elbow will typically cause recurring pain at the outside top of the forearm just below the elbow, and pain may radiate down the arm. Bending the arm, lifting or straightening the arm will also cause pain due to i
Medical Author: Melissa Conrad Stoppler, MD Medical Editor: William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR Tennis elbow is a condition that produces severe, burning pain over the bone at the side of the elbow. The medical term for tennis elbow is lateral epicondylitis. The pain results from inflammation of the tendon that attaches muscle to the bony projection (called the epicondyle) on the outside of the elbow. Tennis elbow usually begins with mild pain and can worsen over time. The pain is worsened by pressing on the affected area, by lifting objects particularly with extension of the wrist. Using a screwdriver can worsen the injury and cause pain. In advanced cases, even simple movements of the elbow joint can produce pain. While tennis elbow affects up to half of people who participate in racquet sports, most people who develop tennis elbow do not play racquet sports. Work activities that involve frequent use of the forearm muscles, such as meat cutting, painting, plumbing, or weaving are al
