Definition
Tennis elbow is the colloquial term for an irritation of the outer elbow. It is also called tennis elbow. In technical terminology, the term is “epicondylitis humeri lateralis”.
It affects the tendon origins of various muscles that cause stretching of the elbow and wrist. The pain develops as a symptom of irritation. Various other symptoms may follow.
Not only athletes are affected by this irritation with pain. Besides tennis as the main cause, many other activities can be considered. The elbow has a bony protrusion inside and outside, which is called “epicondylus”.
Inside and outside is the forearm when the palm of the hand is facing forward. The muscles that originate from the outer bony protrusion partially attach to the back of the hand and, in addition to stretching the elbow and wrist, also cause the forearm to rotate. This rotation is called “supination“, which causes the arm to rotate so that the palm of the hand is facing forward.
What helps against the pain?
There are various options available to treat the pain caused by tennis elbow. Only rarely does the irritation not respond to the therapy and chronic pain occurs. Unfortunately, for the complaints caused by sporting activities, the main focus is on the pausing of the sport.
Only by sparing the muscles can the tendons be given the necessary time to heal. Bandages can be applied for this purpose, but movement should not be completely avoided. Slight maintenance of movement with stretching is beneficial for healing.
In addition, ointments or local medications can promote and accelerate healing. Anti-inflammatory ointments with NSAIDs, for example “Diclofenac” or ointments containing cortisone, are available for this purpose. These relieve pain and suppress inflammation.
In severe cases, anti-inflammatory drugs can also be given directly via an injection at the elbow. In pronounced cases, surgical therapies can be performed. During this procedure, the tendons are inspected, adhesions are removed and, if necessary, small nerves responsible for the pain are sclerosed.
