Tennis Elbow & Golfer’s Elbow

You have probably heard of tennis elbow or golfer’s elbow before. These are common conditions that produce pain at the elbow and in the forearm.

Tennis elbow is associated with lateral elbow pain at the boney point along the outside of the elbow called the lateral epicondyle. Also known as, lateral epicondylitis, tennis elbow is most commonly caused by overuse of the wrist extensor muscles. This ultimately results in repetitive microtrauma, inflammation, and pain. Although a poor golf or tennis swing can contribute to the development of these symptoms there are many other ways to repetitively overuse these muscles. Some of these activities may include typing, mousing, swinging a hammer, and sewing. Other symptoms may include difficulty gripping or picking up items, even sometimes picking up something as small as a coffee cup.

Golfer’s elbow also known as medial epicondylitis is associated with medial elbow pain. It is caused by overuse of the wrist flexors resulting in microtrauma, inflammation, and pain. Some of the same activities that cause tennis elbow can also cause golfer’s elbow depending on your technique. Other activities including throwing or tight gripping are more likely to contribute to golfer’s elbow.

Although these are common conditions they are not the only causes of medial or lateral elbow pain. If you are experiencing symptoms similar to those described above it is recommended that you should consult a health care provider for further assessment and treatment.