Essential Facts About Elbow Tendonitis

A tendon is a type of connective tissue that anchors muscles to bones. As such, tendons are inherently tough and flexible. When a tendon becomes irritated and inflamed, the condition is known as tendonitis. And among the most commonly affected tendons are those found in the elbow and arm areas.

Elbow tendonitis is a condition characterized by inflammation of any of the primary tendons that connect the arm muscles to the arm bones. This is considered to be the most common problem affecting the elbow.

Two Types of Elbow Tendonitis

Elbow tendonitis, which is also called epicondylitis, has two types such as:

Tennis Elbow

This condition occurs when the affected tendon is the one that lies in the outer portion of the forearm; and is medically known as lateral epicondylitis. Although common among tennis players hence the name, tennis elbow can occur in many individuals who have never played tennis in their whole life.

Golfer’s Elbow

Otherwise called medial epicondylitis, this condition occurs when the inner tendon is injured or inflamed.

Causes of Elbow Tendonitis

Elbow tendonitis is usually caused by the following:

Overuse

You tend to overuse your elbow tendon when you engage in a certain activity that requires repetitive motion at frequent intervals. If you are a tennis player, the frequent repetitive actions involved in swinging the racket may injure your tendon leading to inflammation. But other activities done regularly and frequently such as hammering (for carpenters), typing (for typists/encoders) and other sports like golf can also injure the tendons in your arm.

Overload

Tendon injury can also occur when you continually apply excessive pressure on your arm. Weightlifting of extremely heavy weights or carrying heavy loads frequently can injure your tendon leading to inflammation.

Arthritis

As this condition is characterized by inflammation of the joints, this may affect the surrounding tendons of the inflamed joints too.

Diabetes

It has been observed too that diabetics are prevalently affected by tendonitis, although experts have no specific explanation for this yet.

Antibiotics

Levofloxacin and ciprofloxacin are the two antibiotics that have been implicated lately in the occurrence of tendonitis. However, the reason why tendonitis may result due to use of these drugs is still presently unknown.

Signs and Symptoms of Ebow Tendonitis

Your dominant arm is the one that’s usually affected. The symptoms of elbow tendonitis may have a sudden onset or may slowly progress over a period of time; and in most cases, such symptoms may persist. Some people may also experience recurrent pain. The pain associated with this condition is localized in your elbow which radiates up to your upper arm and down to your forearm. Due to persistent and recurrent pain, the strength and mobility of your affected arm may be significantly reduced.

Preventive Measures

Since overuse and overload are the main causes of elbow tendonitis, the following measures will help you avoid this condition:

• Take frequent breaks from any activity involving intense hand/wrist movements
• Do not lift objects with your arm extended
• Avoid bending or extending your elbow and wrist fully to minimize overall strain
• When playing tennis, hold the racket with your two hands in using a backhand stroke
• When playing golf, try using a grip tape or a large grip on golf clubs

Treatment of Elbow Tendonitis

This condition will benefit from the following treatment methods:

Pain Medications

Pain relief is the first thing to consider in the treatment of this condition. Your doctor may recommend acetaminophen (Tylenol) or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) and naproxen (Aleve). In more serious cases, steroid oral preparations or injections may be given to control pain and inflammation.

Ice Packs

Applying ice pack over the affected area for 10 to 15 minutes will help minimize pain and inflammation too. You may do this three to four times a day for best results.

Rest and Immobilization

Since movement can aggravate the pain, you need to rest and immobilize your affected elbow too. Splinting your elbow to minimize movement may be done.

Massage Therapy

Using gentle rubbing motion, you may also massage the area surrounding the affected tendon. This may be performed three times daily, but always make sure that each session does not exceed 3 minutes.

Physical Therapy and Exercises

In some cases, physical therapy toning exercises may be needed for the affected arm and elbow to regain strength, flexibility, and normal movement. When the acute stage has passed, you need to consult a physical therapist to guide you in the rehabilitation of your affected elbow.

Surgery

This is rarely resorted to and is only indicated if symptoms persist for a year or even longer in spite of other therapeutic measures.

Most cases of elbow tendonitis are responsive to treatment. A few cases may require surgery to treat the affected tendon. And long-term physical therapy exercises are usually recommended in recurrent cases or post-surgery cases to restore normal strength and function of the affected elbow and arm.

So if you feel some recurrent pain in your elbow and arm, do not wait for it to worsen, but consult your doctor right away, as you may be suffering from elbow tendonitis.