Tennis elbow – What is it anyway?
Tennis elbow is a relatively common symptom of overstrain on the forearm, which occurs not only in tennis players. Constant pain can restrict everyday activities. However, the prognosis is good, because complete regeneration can be achieved with the help of conservative physiotherapy/physiotherapy, stretching exercises/exercises and rest.
An operation is only performed in rare cases and should be avoided if possible. So-called tennis elbow or tennis elbow is a painful inflammation of the forearm muscles on the extensor side (in contrast to the so-called golfer’s elbow – an overloading of the flexor muscles). The clinical picture of tennis elbow exists relatively frequently.
There are various sites that can be affected and are usually caused by overloading. The technical term for tennis elbow is epicondylitis humeri lateralis or radialis. The two main muscles affected are the extensor carpi radialis longus and brevis (long and short wrist extensor muscles).
Four classic types of tennis elbow are distinguished: The different types of tennis elbow are differentiated by means of tests, whereby the individual muscles are tensed and at the same time the different localizations are palpated. Typical symptoms of tennis elbow are initially pain when the affected muscles are strained. This means in the area of the outer elbow and partly radiating into the forearm, along the course of the muscle.
After a longer period of existence or repeated overloading, pain also occurs at rest and later a feeling of weakness. Pressure on the affected area is also painful. The symptoms can restrict even simple work, so they often represent an impairment in everyday life.
Causes can be unaccustomed strain, incorrect training, microtraumas, overstrain during sports or at work. As already described, a problem of the cervical spine can also be the cause of tennis elbow, because this is where the nerves that supply the muscles described come from. If there is a constriction, for example due to poor posture, the nerve can send painful signals.
- Type 1 denotes an overload of the origin of the long wrist extensor (M. carpi radialis longus),
- Type 2 an overload origin of the short wrist extensor (M. carpi radialis brevis),
- Type 3 an overload of the tendon of the short wrist extensor muscle and
- Type 4 an overload in the muscle belly of the short wrist extensor.
- Occasionally a type 5 is mentioned, in which another extensor muscle, the M. extensor digitorum communis (common finger extensor) is affected.
