Tennis elbow

What it usually is

Tennis elbow is pain on the outside of the elbow and golfers elbow is pain on the inside of the elbow. It is a cranky tendon where the muscles that lift your wrist and fingers attach to the elbow. You do not need to play tennis to get it; I see a lot more keyboards, hammers and garden shears than rackets. Usually it is too much gripping, too often, for longer than the tendon was ready for.

What it often feels like

A sore spot on the bony bump on the outside of the elbow. It bites when you grip, lift a kettle, shake hands or turn a doorknob. Sometimes it aches down the forearm.

What we look at

Which movements load the tendon and how strong your grip is compared to the other side. Your neck and the nerves that run down the arm, because elbow pain does not always start at the elbow. And your day: work, tools, hobbies and how you hold your mouse. Although Google is a great resource, it is, unfortunately, unable to do a thorough exam or medical history for you.

What usually helps

Calming it down first: soft tissue work on the forearm and, sometimes, tape or a strap to take some load off. Then exercise that loads the tendon on purpose, a little more each week, because tendons like load they can handle. If the neck or a nerve is part of the story, we add adjusting or neurodynamics. The good news is that most tennis elbow settles down within a year, so what we work on is keeping you doing your stuff while it does.

What you can do at home

Let's not chase symptoms. Remove or modify the thing that caused the problem in the first place. Pace it: break up long gripping jobs, and swap hands when you can. Resting completely is usually not the answer; the tendon still needs some load, just not too much. Ice or heat, whichever feels better.

When it's not a chiro problem

If you fell on the arm and the elbow is swollen or you can't fully straighten it, get an x-ray first. A hot, red, swollen elbow, especially with a fever, needs a medical doctor the same day. Arm pain that comes with chest pain, shortness of breath or sweating is a 911 call, not an elbow problem. See your doctor if your hand is getting weaker or numb.