Tennis Elbow Specialist

what is Tennis Elbow ?

You don’t have to be a racquet sports athlete to develop tennis elbow, a painful injury that affects the elbow, forearm, and wrist. Board-certified orthopedic surgeon Michael Hood, MD, and the team at Delta Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine have extensive experience diagnosing and treating tennis elbow at their offices in West Memphis, Arkansas, and Collierville, Tennessee.

What is tennis elbow?

Also called lateral epicondylitis, tennis elbow develops when the tendons on the outside of your elbow become damaged and inflamed. These tendons connect your forearm muscles to the bony bump at the end of your upper arm bone called the lateral epicondyle. Tennis elbow affects the tendons that connect to the bony bump on the outside of your elbow, while golfer’s elbow (medial epicondylitis) affects the tendons that attach to the inner bump. Pain from tennis elbow can spread into your forearm and wrist.

What causes tennis elbow?

Tennis elbow is an overuse injury caused by repetitive hand and wrist motions. As the name suggests, tennis players are particularly prone to developing this condition. This is especially true when using poor stroke techniques.

However, tennis elbow affects more than just athletes. Many common arm motions can lead to tennis elbow, such as:

  • Painting
  • Driving screws
  • Using plumbing tools
  • Cutting up meat

Carpenters, plumbers, and butchers are at increased risk of developing tennis elbow. In some cases, tennis elbow may develop without any clear cause.

How do I know if I have tennis elbow?

The most prominent signs and symptoms of tennis elbow include pain and weakness in your elbow, forearm, and wrist. Pain is typically mild at first and gradually worsens over several weeks or months.

Tennis elbow may weaken the strength of your grip and make it difficult to perform tasks such as:

  • Holding a tennis racquet
  • Shaking hands
  • Turning a wrench

This condition can affect only one arm or both at the same time. Tennis elbow most often occurs in your dominant arm.

If your rotator cuff is completely torn away from the bone, Dr. Hood may recommend surgery. He uses small incisions to access the damaged muscles and tendons and minimally invasive surgical techniques to make repairs and ensure your shoulder joint is stable. Following surgery, you’ll need additional physical therapy to strengthen the rotator cuff and restore your range of motion. Dr. Hood can determine when the right time is to return to strenuous activities and sports to ensure your shoulder has time to heal properly.

How do you diagnose and treat tennis elbow?

The most prominent signs and symptoms of tennis elbow include pain and weakness in your elbow, forearm, and wrist. Pain is typically mild at first and gradually worsens over several weeks or months.

Tennis elbow may weaken the strength of your grip and make it difficult to perform tasks such as:

  • Holding a tennis racquet
  • Shaking hands
  • Turning a wrench

This condition can affect only one arm or both at the same time. Tennis elbow most often occurs in your dominant arm.

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