Tennis elbow is a condition in which you experience pain and some amount of swelling on the outer side of the elbow, where the bone is prominent. While it is mostly a sports related injury, it can also affect those who regularly use their hands and have excessive hand movement as part of their daily routine.
Often, there will be tell-tale signs that you may be at the start of a tennis elbow condition. To make sure you can treat it in time, check out some of the most common symptoms of tennis elbow.
5 Tennis Elbow Symptoms You Shouldn’t Ignore
1. Sudden Pain In Your Elbow
You will often notice a nagging pain in your elbow, especially on the outer side, even though you may not remember getting hurt in that part recently. Also, the pain can sometimes really shoot up, making it difficult for you to do basic chores, such as opening the lid on a jar.
Possible causes: You work in a role that requires you to regularly operate heavy or vibrating equipment, or you regularly indulge in activities such as gardening or carpentry.
2. Stiffness In Your Entire Arm
This is one of the most common symptoms that will show up especially in the morning when you get out of bed. Your entire arm, or parts of it especially around the elbow area, may feel really stiff. You may find it difficult to move it, or even use it to brush, for some minutes after you wake up. The stiffness can be so bad that you may not be able to stretch your hand.
Possible causes: Your extensor tendon suffers a tear or swelling, because of which the forearm extensor muscles become shorter than normal.
3. Tender Or Sensitive Elbow
You will feel an immediate discomfort or even pain when you touch the area around your elbow, especially right above the bony protrusion.
Possible causes: Inflammation in the nerves and tendons around your elbow area can lead to the tenderness.
4. Weak Grip
If you never faced this problem earlier but now often find your grip is weak, it is possibly because of tennis elbow.
Possible causes: Over time when there is a lot of stress on your elbow muscles, it can reduce the strength in your muscles and make them weak.
5. Swelling Or Inflammation Around The Elbow
You may either be able to see a noticeable swelling in your elbow, or may feel it when you touch the area. If you feel there is swelling but cannot see it, you can measure the area with your hand and compare it with the one that is affected.
Possible causes: Inflammation in the nerves and tendons around your elbow area.
The Pain Can Shoot Up If
- You lift something.
- Try to straighten your wrist.
- You raise your hand.
- Try to operate a doorknob or open a lid.
- You try to make a firm grip.
Take note of the above symptoms and speak to your doctor about the same, to get the right care and treatment. You can also get in touch with our physiotherapists to use exercise therapy that can heal tennis elbow.
