You’ve heard of “tennis elbow”—a painful condition that includes pain along the outer part of the elbow, tenderness in the forearm, and pain with grasping or gripping.
But tennis elbow affects more than just tennis players!
Musicians, athletes, industrial workers, and, yes, even gardeners are susceptible to this ailment. It is quite common for folks who are canning and putting up fruits and vegetables from their gardens to also have tennis elbow symptoms. It’s the repetitive motion that can be the culprit.
Tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis) is a form of tendinitis that affects the tendon on the outside of your elbow. Tendinitis is inflammation/swelling of the tendon that attaches muscle to bone. It can occur throughout the body but the more common areas the shoulder, elbow, and wrist.
Basic care for tendinitis includes ice, rest, and possibly anti-inflammatory medications. Therapy may be prescribed so that you can learn appropriate stretching and strengthening exercises to prevent future episodes. If your symptoms don’t improve after 2-3 days, you should consult with your doctor to determine if therapy would be helpful to you.
Karen Woods is a hand therapist at the Towers at Parkwest. You may contact her at 865-560-8550 or email her at woodskj@toaeasttn.com.
