Tennis Elbow

About Tennis Elbow

What is Tennis Elbow and the causes?

Tennis elbow is another common condition in Singapore, which occurs when muscles and tendons in the forearm are strained due to a repetitive or strenuous activity. You may get tennis elbow if your forearm muscles are not used to doing a certain activity.

Examples of activities that involves repeatedly twisting your wrist and using your forearm muscles include:

• Playing racquet sports- such as Tennis, badminton or squash
• Manual work – Car wash and carrying pails of water
• Wringing of clothes
• Cutting up cooking ingredients, particularly meat
• Household Chores

Symptoms

• Pain and tenderness in the bony knob on the outside of your elbow. This knob is where the injured tendons connect to the bone.
• The pain may also radiate into the upper or lower arm – Wrist
• Difficulty doing everyday tasks like holding a cup, turning a doorknob and
  pouring water from a kettle and hanging laundry out to dry.

TREATMENT (CONSERVATIVE)

• Rest
• Ice compress
• Over the counter medications (Panadol)
• Physiotherapy

DOCTOR MANAGEMENT

INJECTION THERAPY

Anti-inflammatory injections such as cortisone can be injected into the inflamed muscles, reducing swelling and stopping pain.

In more severe Tennis Elbow, the inflamed tendon can be associated with breaks and tears. PRP (platelets rich plasma) injections can be utilized to have more directed healing of the injured tendon.

These injections help in reducing pain, enabling patients to engage early in rehabilitation and therapy.

MEDICATION THERAPY

Anti-inflammatory pain killers (steroid and non-steroidal) are taken orally to reduce moderate swelling and inflammation of the injured tendon.

Nerve stabilizing medications reduce pain transmission, giving good pain relief.

Occasionally anti-depressants (low dose) may be utilized for good muscle relaxation, encouraging better blood circulation to the injured tendon.