By Mayo Clinic Staff

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.