Tennis elbow
By Mayo Clinic staff
Symptoms
The pain associated with tennis elbow may radiate from the outside of your elbow into
your forearm and wrist. Pain and weakness may make it difficult to:
 Shake hands
 Turn a doorknob
 Hold a coffee cup
Causes
Tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis) is an overuse and muscle strain injury. The cause is
repeated contraction of the forearm muscles that you use to straighten and raise your
hand and wrist. The repeated motions and stress to the tissue may result in inflammation
or a series of tiny tears in the tendons that attach the forearm muscles to the bony
prominence at the outside of your elbow (lateral epicondyle).
As the name suggests, playing tennis — especially repeated use of the backhand stroke
with poor technique — is one possible cause of tennis elbow. However, many other
common arm motions can cause tennis elbow, including:
 Using plumbing tools
 Painting
 Driving screws
 Cutting up cooking ingredients, particularly meat
 Excessive computer mouse use
When to see a doctor
Talk to your doctor if self-care steps such as rest, ice and use of over-the-counter pain
relievers don't ease your elbow pain and tenderness.
Lifestyle and home remedies
Follow the instructions for R.I.C.E. — rest, ice, compression, elevation:
 Rest. Give your elbow a rest. But don't avoid all activity. Sometimes,
wearing a forearm splint at night helps reduce morning symptoms.
 Ice. Use a cold pack, ice massage, slush bath or compression sleeve
filled with cold water to limit swelling after an injury. Try to apply ice as
soon as possible after the injury.
 Compression. Use an elastic wrap or bandage to compress the injured
area.
 Elevation. Keep your elbow above heart level when possible to help
prevent or limit swelling.
Over-the-counter pain relievers can also be helpful.