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Patient education: Elbow tendinopathy (tennis and golf elbow) (The Basics)

Patient education: Elbow tendinopathy (tennis and golf elbow) (The Basics)

What is elbow tendinopathy? — Elbow tendinopathy is a condition that causes elbow pain and forearm weakness. The word "tendinopathy" refers to a problem with a tendon. Tendons are strong bands of tissue that connect muscles to bones.

Depending on which elbow tendon is injured, the condition is also known as "tennis elbow" or "golf elbow." Doctors also used to call this condition "tendinitis."

What causes elbow tendinopathy? — This condition can happen as people get older, especially if they do a lot of work or activity using their elbow and forearm. It can also happen when people get hurt or do the same movements over and over.

The terms "tennis elbow" and "golf elbow" refer to the swinging motion people do in these sports. This can cause tendinopathy. But other activities or jobs can also cause this problem if they involve similar movements.

What are the symptoms of elbow tendinopathy? — The most common symptoms are:

Elbow pain – This is the main symptom of elbow tendinopathy. Pain can start slowly or suddenly, and can be mild or more severe. It can spread to the upper arm or forearm. Pain is most common when the tendon is working or stretched.

Muscle weakness – The forearm muscles might feel weak when you grip or squeeze something.

Swelling – Some people might have mild swelling in the elbow area.

Will I need tests? — Maybe. Your doctor or nurse should be able to tell if you have elbow tendinopathy by talking with you and doing an exam. They might also have you do specific arm movements to better understand what motions or activities cause pain.

In some cases, the doctor might also do an imaging test, such as an ultrasound. Imaging tests create pictures of the inside of the body.

How is elbow tendinopathy treated? — Most of the time, it gets better on its own, but it can take months to heal completely. To help get better, you can:

Rest your elbow and arm – If possible, try to avoid or reduce activities that make your pain worse.

Wear a brace or sleeve – Ask your doctor or nurse about this. Wearing a special brace or "compression sleeve" can help support your elbow and relieve pain. These work by reducing strain on the tendon when you use your arm.

Take a pain-relieving medicine – Your doctor might recommend that you take a medicine such as acetaminophen (sample brand name: Tylenol), ibuprofen (sample brand names: Advil, Motrin), or naproxen (sample brand names: Aleve, Naprosyn).

Put ice on your elbow – This might help after doing activities that make your pain worse. Put a cold gel pack, bag of ice, or bag of frozen vegetables on the area every 1 to 2 hours, for 15 minutes each time. Put a thin towel between the ice (or other cold object) and your skin.

Get physical therapy – This involves learning specific exercises to strengthen your muscles. This can help with your symptoms. The right exercises for you depend on which elbow tendon is injured. Your doctor or nurse can show you how to do these types of exercises. They will tell you when to start them and how often to do them. They might also refer you to a physical therapist (exercise expert).

Stretching the muscles in your lower arm can also be helpful. Depending on which tendon is injured, you can do stretches like:

Tennis elbow stretch (also called forearm extensor stretch) – Hold your injured arm straight out, and point your fingers down to the ground. Use your other hand (with the thumb pressing on the palm) to grab this hand. Then, press down on the back of the hand to bend the wrist more (picture 1). Hold this position for 30 seconds. Repeat the stretch 3 times. Do this exercise 1 time a day.

Golf elbow stretch – Stand an arm's length away from the wall, with the injured arm closest to the wall. Put your palm on the wall, with your fingers pointing down. Press gently against the wall to stretch your muscles (picture 2). Hold this position for 30 seconds. Repeat the stretch 3 times. Do this exercise 1 time a day.

What if my symptoms don't get better? — If you have been doing your exercises for at least 8 to 12 weeks and your symptoms are not getting better, talk with your doctor or nurse. They can suggest other treatments that might help. They might also want to do imaging tests, like an ultrasound or X-ray, to see if something else might be causing your symptoms.

Rarely, elbow tendinopathy is treated with surgery. This might be considered if other treatments do not help after many months. But the condition usually gets better without surgery.

Can elbow tendinopathy be prevented? — Yes. To help prevent elbow tendinopathy, you can:

Take breaks when you do activities that involve moving your elbow and wrist a lot.

Keep your elbows slightly bent when you exercise or lift things.

Wear gloves or use 2 hands when using tools.

If you play tennis, use a 2-handed backhand swing.

If you play golf, use grip tape or padding on your golf clubs.

More on this topic

Patient education: Biceps tendinopathy (The Basics)
Patient education: Rotator cuff injury (The Basics)
Patient education: Nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) (The Basics)

Patient education: Elbow tendinopathy (tennis and golf elbow) (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Biceps tendinitis or tendinopathy (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Rotator cuff tendinitis and tear (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: Nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) (Beyond the Basics)

This topic retrieved from UpToDate on: Feb 02, 2024.
Disclaimer: This generalized information is a limited summary of diagnosis, treatment, and/or medication information. It is not meant to be comprehensive and should be used as a tool to help the user understand and/or assess potential diagnostic and treatment options. It does NOT include all information about conditions, treatments, medications, side effects, or risks that may apply to a specific patient. It is not intended to be medical advice or a substitute for the medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment of a health care provider based on the health care provider's examination and assessment of a patient's specific and unique circumstances. Patients must speak with a health care provider for complete information about their health, medical questions, and treatment options, including any risks or benefits regarding use of medications. This information does not endorse any treatments or medications as safe, effective, or approved for treating a specific patient. UpToDate, Inc. and its affiliates disclaim any warranty or liability relating to this information or the use thereof. The use of this information is governed by the Terms of Use, available at https://www.wolterskluwer.com/en/know/clinical-effectiveness-terms. 2024© UpToDate, Inc. and its affiliates and/or licensors. All rights reserved.
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