Tennis Elbow Specialist

What is tennis elbow?

Medically referred to as lateral epicondylitis, tennis elbow is the inflammation of the tendons that support your elbow joint and is a type of tendinitis. The inflammation most often occurs from overuse, such as the constant back-and-forth motion of your elbow required when you play a game of tennis.

However, tennis isn’t the only cause of tennis elbow. You may also develop the elbow condition if your job requires repetitive movement of your arm. Painters, construction workers, butchers, and so on can all get tennis elbow.

If you’re experiencing elbow pain and it’s affecting your daily activities, the team at North Texas Orthopaedic & Spine can conduct an evaluation to determine the cause of your pain and create a treatment plan that restores function.

What are the symptoms of tennis elbow?

Pain at the outside of your elbow is the most common symptom of tennis elbow. You may also notice that the pain radiates down your forearm and into your wrist, and may worsen when you engage in activities that require the use of your elbow, such as turning a doorknob or holding a cup of coffee.  

How is tennis elbow diagnosed?

Your specialist may be able to determine if your elbow and arm pain are due to tennis elbow after a review of your symptoms and a physical examination of your arm and elbow. In some cases, diagnostic imaging, such as an MRI or X-ray, may be needed to rule out other causes of your pain.

What treatments can improve my tennis elbow?

Your specialist at North Texas Orthopaedic & Spine creates a personalized treatment plan for your tennis elbow based on the severity of your symptoms and the underlying cause of your pain. Your treatment may include:

• Resting and icing the area
• Anti-inflammatories
• Physical therapy

Your specialist may also help you make changes to your daily activities to reduce the use of your elbow to decrease the risk of a recurrence.

If your symptoms don’t improve with conservative management, your specialist may recommend more invasive treatments such as injections or surgery.

Tennis elbow can greatly affect your day-to-day activities. To get help for your elbow pain so you can get back to your everyday life, call North Texas Orthopaedic & Spine for an evaluation. The team has the skill set to help you reliably get back to the functional level you desire.