How To Tell If You Have Tennis Elbow (2/9)

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Try these tests to find out fast if you have tennis elbow.
#tenniselbow #lateralepicondylitis

If you think you have tennis elbow, it’s important to know for sure, that way you can get the right treatment so you elbow can heal. In this video I’ll show you 3 things you can check for to see if you have tennis elbow, also known as lateral epicondylitis. I’m Dr AJ Ludlow, I’m a Doctor of Physical Therapy and with the right diagnosis and treatment you can heal your tennis elbow.

Just a quick note on what tennis elbow is. It’s an overuse injury that usually comes on gradually from a repetitive strain. It’s pretty common in tennis players but anyone who does a lot of repetitive motions like bending and twisting with the wrist can get it. There is a tendon that attaches to the outer bone of the elbow called the lateral epicondyle that gets irritated and painful. Sometimes it can happen from a single injury like a one time strain but this is less common.

People usually think their elbow is inflamed and it probably was for the first few days or weeks but after that it is not an inflammation problem. After a few weeks the inflammation calms down but the damage to the tendon is still there. It becomes a degenerative condition meaning the tendon is breaking down, has little micro tears, has a lack of blood blow and oxygen and is having a hard time healing.

Here are three things you can check for to confirm if you have tennis elbow. Number one is to check for tenderness or pain on the outer elbow bone. This part of the bone is call the lateral epicondyle. Press around on it to check for tenderness. Tennis elbow is almost always very tender on or near this bone.

Number two. Using the arm that is not painful, press down on the middle finger of the affected side while trying to resist the pressure. If you have tennis elbow this will usually cause significant pain in the outer elbow and possibly muscles of the forearm.

The third way to tell is to extend the wrist of the affected arm and apply downward pressure with the opposite hand. If this is painful in the outer elbow area, it’s another positive sign that you have tennis elbow.

If you have two or three of these then it’s highly likely that you have tennis elbow. Now that you know, check out my other videos on tennis elbow to figure out what to do to help it heal more quickly, spoiler alert: building strength with a specific type of exercise is the key!

I hope this knowledge helps you heal your elbow pain faster! Make sure to check out my other videos on tennis elbow. Have a great day and stay strong!