Tennis Elbow Treatment in NYC
What is tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis)?
Tennis elbow, also known as lateral epicondylitis, occurs when the tendons in your elbow are overused, commonly associated with tennis due to the repetitive movements of your wrist and arm during the sport. In spite of the name, anyone can suffer from tennis elbow, even those who do not participate in any sports at all but perform repetitive motions with their arms in one way or another. Patients who are commonly affected by tennis elbow pain include the following:
- Tennis players
- Plumberstendonitis
- Painters
- Butchers
- Carpenters
At Performance Health in NYC and Pearl River, our sports medicine specialists provide a variety of treatments and therapies for tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis) when conservative home treatments don’t work. Learn more about tennis elbow and our treatment options below, or request an appointment using the form on this page.
What causes tennis elbow?
Tennis elbow is caused by continuous muscle strain, which occurs when the arm muscles are contracted over and over again. Often, this results in very small tears in the connective tendons throughout the forearm. The following movements can result in tennis elbow when repeated over time:
- Golf
- Skiing
- Rowing
- Softball (especially pitching)
- Running
- Baseball (especially pitching)
- Swimming
- Basketball
- Tennis
What are the symptoms of tennis elbow?
The following tennis elbow symptoms may warrant a visit to Performance Health for an evaluation and treatment:
- Tenderness and pain in the elbow
- Pain that radiates down the outside of the arm
- Wrist pain
- Difficulty turning a doorknob
- Trouble gripping small objects
- Pain when holding a coffee cup
What are the risk factors for tennis elbow?
Factors that can increase your odds of suffering from tennis elbow include the following:
- Age – Tennis elbow can affect anyone at any age, but is most commonly found in adults between the ages of 30 and 50.
- Sports – Participating in sports, especially those that involve swinging a racket (i.e.: tennis, badminton), makes you more likely to develop the condition.
- Workplace conditions – Working in careers that require repetitive arm or wrist motions increase your chances of suffering from tennis elbow.
How is tennis elbow diagnosed?
At Performance Health, we can diagnose tennis elbow in a short consultation, during which a physician will examine your arm, have you perform a few movements, and ask you some simple questions about your symptoms. If needed, you may need be asked to use other diagnostic tests to help visualize the injury or rule out other conditions.
Tennis elbow treatment options
Sometimes, tennis elbow can get better on its own, especially when patients practice good self-care and allow the arm to rest at home. When conservative home treatments do not help, your doctor may suggest one of the following tennis elbow treatments to avoid elbow surgery:
- Physical therapy and myofascial release
- Pain management
- Sports medicine and rehabilitation
- Massage therapy
- Regenerative and alternative medicine
If you are suffering from tendonitis pain, the first step to improving your health and returning to your normal activities is to schedule an evaluation at Performance Health. Our physicians can help you get back to performance-level health. Call one of our New York offices at 212.486.8616, or fill out the form on this page to request an appointment now.