What Causes Tennis Elbow (Lateral Epicondylitis)? 1/9

#tenniselbow #lateralepicondylitis
Find out what causes tennis elbow, watch the other videos in the tennis elbow series to learn how to heal it!

If you have tennis elbow you’ve probably wondered what happened to cause so much pain, especially if you’re not a tennis player. I’m Doctor AJ, let talk about what tennis elbow is and what causes it so you know what you can do to get it better.

Tennis elbow, also known at lateral epicondylitis, is an injury of a tendon that attaches to the outer part of your elbow. This tendon is called the common extensor tendon and is attached to multiple muscles in the forearm that are involved in grip and extending the wrist. Tennis elbow is an overuse injury that happens with repetitive activities and motions of the wrist. It’s called tennis elbow because it’s so common in tennis players. About 50% of tennis players end up getting tennis elbow. In tennis you are gripping the racket and repeatedly extending the wrist when you swing, especially in the backhand swing. When this happens over and over again it can put more strain on the tendon than it is ready to handle and it becomes strained, and gets micro tears. It then becomes inflamed, swollen and painful. After a few weeks the inflammation goes away and it’s then a degenerative condition meaning the tendon continues to break down and not fully heal. It gets thicker and stiffer and stuck in a state of repeated partial tearing and partial healing.
It’s not just tennis that causes this, it’s anything that involves repetitively gripping and extending the wrist like using a wrench, screwdriver, paintbrush, kitchen utensils or other similar activities.

Most cases of tennis elbow will heal within a few months but many become chronic and can last for years. Tendons don’t have very good blood flow, so sometimes the body struggles to heal from tennis elbow.

Luckily there are ways to help your body heal, things that help improve blood flow, improve strength and stimulate a healing response. One of the easiest things you can do to heal your tennis elbow are eccentric exercises that strengthen the tendon in a way that relieves pains and helps it heal. For the specific exercises check out my other videos on tennis elbow. Make sure to subscribe and have a great day!

[jasodan]

I have had this a couple of times in my life and it always takes 6 to 12 months to fully heal. I have tried many things. I will check your other videos out.

[DejaDrewit]

Great video. Thank you for explaining this. I was struggling figuring out how I got it. I only played tennis 3x but i think I got it when i started trying to learn to do pull ups. After 5 months of pain it’s finally healing and I worry about injuring it again so I’m trying to figure out what I did wrong in the first place. Thanks!

[brendasnider]

Got your first like 👍 and first comment. My tennis elbow won't get better no matter what my doctor has done it's been so miserable. Unfortunately now can't do much broke my wrist is several places on Christmas eve. Broke both bones in my wrist they operated on it 4 weeks ago it's so crooked don't think it will ever look the same then my right hand has nerve damage my ulnar nerve is dead after the EMG several nerves are bad. Find out more next week . Love hearing about how to do the exercises but still in braces on both hands. One of these months maybe I'll get my feeling back

[johnniepegues]

I just experienced a terrible tennis elbow diagnosis a couple of days ago finally with steroid pills and ice packs it's getting better and I'm out of pain now I think mine was caused due to the work that I do in food service I want to know is there anyway I can protect myself from having to experience this incredible chronic pain