Ask the Expert: What is Tennis Elbow?  

One of the most common reasons for elbow pain is Lateral Epicondylitis – more commonly referred to as Tennis Elbow or Pickleball Elbow – and is an inflammation of the tendon attached to muscles that help extend your wrist and grip objects with your hand.   

 “You actually don’t have to play a sport to get tennis elbow,” Shoulder and Elbow Specialist Dr. Alexander Bitzer said. “It can happen over time from repetitive motions that strain the muscles and create more work for your tendons.”  

Symptoms  

Pain around the outside of the elbow is the primary symptom of tennis elbow. The pain can also radiate up and down the arm and can flare up when you’re using your hands.  

“The affected tendons all connect to the bone on the outside of your elbow, so that’s the epicenter of pain for most people,” Dr. Bitzer said. “It often gets worse over time.”  

If your elbow becomes red or swollen, you have trouble moving your arms, you develop a lump or bulge, or the pain of tennis elbow is interfering with your day-to-day life, then it’s time to talk to your healthcare provider.  

Treatment  

“The best thing for tennis elbow is resting and stopping those repetitive movements that caused it in the first place,” Dr. Bitzer said. “For mild to moderate cases, rest, ice, massage, and over-the-counter anti-inflammatories can be helpful.”  

Other options include physical therapy with specific tennis elbow exercises and injections. Cortisone injections can be helpful to reduce pain and inflammation while platelet rich plasma injections can help heal partial tears of the tendon responsible for causing pain.   

“For severe cases that don’t respond after a few months with these treatments, a surgical option is to remove the damaged portion of the tendon and repair the remaining healthy fibers back to the bone,” Dr. Bitzer said. “We often use minimally invasive techniques, which allows a faster recovery.”  

Recovery  

No longer experiencing pain, weakness, and swelling in your elbow and arm usually points to successful recovery.   

“The goal for recovery is to get you as pain-free as possible and back to an active lifestyle,” Dr. Bitzer said. “Recovery time isn’t one-size-fits-all and depends on the severity of your condition and type of treatment.”  

To prevent tennis elbow or a flare-up, pay attention to how you’re using your arm and interrupting those repetitive motions.  

“Stretch and warm-up before any sports or exercise,” Dr. Bitzer said. “And day-to-day, do what you can to take the pressure off your elbow. Avoid bending and straightening your arm all the way, lift with your shoulders and upper arms when you can, and don’t use an overly tight grip when holding things.”  

For more information on advanced orthopedic care for active lives at WVU Medicine in the Eastern Panhandle, visit: wvumedicine.org/activeortho 

Featured Expert

Dr. Alexander Bitzer