Tennis elbow is a painful problem that affects many people each year, but you don’t have to play tennis to get it. In fact, tennis elbow can develop from any kind of activity that overworks the tissues, leading to tears forming in the tendons, a problem that the expert medical team at Genesis Orthopaedic and Spine in Westfield and West Orange, New Jersey and serving all of Union county, Morris county, Middlesex county, and Somerset county including the surrounding towns of Cranford, Garwood, Clark, Scotch Plains, Mountainside, Springfield, Summit, Chatham, Millburn, Short Hills, Maplewood, Watchung, Berkeley Heights, Livingston, Union, Edison, Woodbridge, and Elizabeth, can treat with a range of innovative therapies. If you’ve developed pain in your elbow, contact the clinic nearest you today for advice, or book an appointment online.
For appointments, call us or book online at any of our convenient locations in Middletown, Morristown, Ridgewood, Westfield, and West Orange.
What is tennis elbow?
Tennis elbow is the popular name for a condition called lateral epicondylitis. It’s called tennis elbow because tennis involves the kind of repetitive arm movements that lead to the condition developing, but only around 5% of cases actually arise from playing tennis.
Tennis elbow is an inflammatory condition caused by small tears in the tendons that connect the bones in your forearm to the muscles. Tendons at the elbow end of your forearm attach the extensor carpi radialis brevis (ECRB) muscle to the bone, and when they’re subject to regular, repetitive motions, these tendons may start to tear.
If tears start to appear the tendons can become inflamed and the rest of your arm suffers an increase in extra stress, leading to the pain of tennis elbow. The pain is usually worse when you try to lift or grip anything, and if left untreated, tennis elbow becomes a chronic problem.
What are the symptoms of tennis elbow?
Tennis elbow starts as an aching feeling on the outside of your arm in the area where the forearm joins the elbow. Over the course of a few weeks or months, the ache becomes a pain, and the area may be tender to touch as well as move.
As time goes on, the pain increases and using your hands can become more of a challenge. Lifting and gripping motions involve the use of the affected tendons, causing pain and in some cases weakness.
Golfer’s elbow is a similar condition with the same root cause as tennis elbow, but golfer’s elbow affects the inside rather than the outside of the joint.
What treatments are available for tennis elbow?
Mild cases of tennis elbow usually respond well to a combination of rest, physical therapy to strengthen the muscles and connective tissues in your arm, and anti-inflammatory medication. If the pain is severe or chronic, talk to the medical team at Genesis Orthopaedic and Spine for advice. They provide effective therapies that use the latest scientific advancements to promote healing and regeneration of damaged tissue, including:
- Tenjet Tenotomy
- Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP)
- Lipogems: Adipose/Fat therapy
These therapies all use safe and natural methods of stimulating your body to repair itself and are ideal for patients with tennis elbow. Call Genesis Orthopaedic and Spine today for more information or book an appointment online.
