Tennis Elbow

Overview

For patients who have tennis elbow, which develops into constant pain on the outside of their forearm (between the wrist and elbow), Mayo Clinic is a national leader in developing effective, innovative ways to diagnose and treat the condition. Mayo's orthopedic surgeons treat patients with moderate to severe tennis elbow with a high rate of success in providing pain relief and restoring patients' ability to use their arm.

Diagnosis

Because the causes of forearm pain vary widely, an accurate diagnosis is critical. Tennis elbow involves tendons (body tissue that connects muscle to bone) on the outside of the elbow that are injured from overuse or repetitive motion, such as hitting a tennis ball with a racket or twisting a screwdriver. By contrast, pain that occurs on the inside of the forearm at the elbow may be medial epicondylitis, more commonly called "golfer's elbow" or "little leaguer's elbow." Patients may also be checked for other conditions, such as arm fractures, arthritis or pinched nerves.

Mayo Clinic's orthopedic specialists have extensive experience and expertise in identifying and treating tennis elbow and other muscle and bone conditions. Read more about diagnosis of tennis elbow.

Treatment Options

Mayo Clinic is a nationally recognized leader in treatment of tennis elbow, including open surgery and arthroscopic (minimally invasive) surgery. Mayo's orthopedic surgeons work closely with specialists in other disciplines to ensure that each patient is thoroughly evaluated and offered the most appropriate treatment. Read more about tennis elbow treatment options.

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About Tennis Elbow

Tennis elbow is one of several overuse injuries that can affect the elbow. Other similar conditions include golfer's elbow and little leaguer's elbow, but they involve a different part of the elbow. The pain of tennis elbow occurs primarily where the tendons of the forearm muscles attach to the bony prominence on the outside of the elbow (lateral epicondyle). Pain can also spread (radiate) into the forearm and wrist. Another name for tennis elbow is lateral epicondylitis. The bony spot where pain occurs is near the lower end of the humerus, the bone that connects the shoulder to the forearm at the elbow.

Although playing tennis is one cause of tennis elbow, many other common activities can cause the condition.

Read more at
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