What is tennis elbow? | Pain in the elbow – What is behind it?

What is tennis elbow?

Tennis elbow, also known as epicondylitis humeri lateralis, is a disease of the tendons of the elbow. Translated, the technical term means “inflammation of the outer upper arm”. The disease has its German name because it occurs more frequently among tennis players.

However, it can also occur without a recognizable cause or in the context of other movements and sports. Various muscles attach themselves to the outer bony projection of the upper arm bone, which radiate into the forearm bone or the hand and cause an extension in these joints. The so-called “supination“, the turning of the palm forward, is also performed by these muscles.

When overstrained, the tendons slide along the elbow and can become painfully inflamed, which painfully limits these movements. The treatment consists of an interruption of the sport and of resting. The inflammation must be given sufficient time and rest to allow it to heal completely and not become chronic.

Pain when stretching the elbow

In most cases of pain at the outer elbow, the stretching process in the joint is particularly affected. The muscles responsible for stretching are those that run along the radius to the outer elbow. The tennis elbow is directly caused by the inflammation of these muscles, which also limits the stretching and the so-called “supination“, the turning of the palms of the hands forward. Stretching is also painful and limited in the case of a radial head blockage. Similarly, in advanced arthrosis, all movements are restricted by the rubbing of the worn joint surfaces against each other.

Accompanying symptoms

The diagnosis is largely made on the basis of a precise questioning and external examination of the elbow. Especially after acute injuries or sports activities, causes for the pain can be quickly determined. For some diseases, imaging techniques must be used to make a diagnosis.

Arthroscopy is an invasive method of looking directly into the joint using a camera. In the case of arthrotic changes, the conventional X-ray image can also provide information about the condition of the joint. Inflammatory diseases can be easily diagnosed by MRI, as the soft tissues can be better identified there.