Tennis Elbow

You don’t have to play tennis to get lateral epicondylitis, but it’s no coincidence where Tennis Elbow gets its name. It happens when the tendons that attach your forearm muscles to your elbow become disorganized, and it commonly afflicts painters, plumbers, carpenters, cooks, butchers and other workers.

Before we examine treatment options for Tennis Elbow, let’s take a moment to examine the components of your elbow.

First, it’s made of three bones: your upper arm (humerus) and your forearm (radius and ulna). But there are all sorts of muscles and tendons that give your arm the ability to swing, slice, chop, hammer and more. One of these is your extensor carpi radialis brevis, or ECRB muscle. Located in your forearm, your ECRB can weaken due to overuse and cause tiny tears in your elbow’s tendons. This leads to disorganized collagen, and eventually, your diagnosis.

But there’s good news. If you’re like 80 to 95 percent of patients, you can treat your Tennis Elbow without surgery. In fact, your cure may be as simple as rest and a little aspirin or ibuprofen. Or, some stretching exercises, a brace, or other therapies may alleviate your condition.

However, if you’re still having problems after a few months, your doctor may recommend surgery. The literature demonstrates success in 80 to 90 percent of patients who undergo surgical debridement.