Lateral Elbow Pain: What could it be?

Lateral Elbow Pain

Lateral elbow pain often starts gradually due to repetitive movements like gripping, twisting, or absorbing impact during sports or activities. Sometimes, it can happen suddenly from one particular action. This kind of pain affects about 3% of the general population, 30% of people in hand-intensive jobs, and 40% of racket sports players. (Alizadehkhaiyat et. al, 2008). 

You might feel this pain when extending your wrist, straightening your second or third fingers, gripping forcefully, or holding objects with your palm facing down.

To diagnose lateral elbow pain accurately, we need to understand all the structures involved and what might be causing the pain. Doctors sometimes quickly label it as "Tennis Elbow" or lateral epicondylitis, but research shows that true tendon inflammation is less common. This is important because it changes how we treat it. There are multiple causes of lateral elbow pain so getting the correct diagnosis is very important.  

Possible Causes:

1. Tendinopathy: This happens when the tendon connecting muscle to bone is affected and defined by a degeneration or gradual breakdown of the tendon. Tendons need load to heal and strengthen. Too much load can increase the pain and breakdown, too little and you won’t make an impact. Due to its complex healing process, rehabilitating it requires skilled guidance and a smart phase progression.
2. Adverse Neural Tension (ANT): This occurs when nerves, especially the radial nerve, are the main cause of symptoms due to repetitive activities or compression. Nerves don’t like to be stretched or compressed so we treat them very differently than we treat a tendon or joint.
3. Joint Dysfunction: The joint connecting the upper and lower arm can also be affected, causing pain or noises during elbow movements.
4. Referred Pain: Sometimes, the pain in the lateral elbow area can actually come from pressure on nerves all the way up at the neck.  This can be due to muscle imbalances, joint dysfunction at the neck or posture issues.

It's crucial not to assume it's always tendinopathy or "Tennis Elbow" and to get an accurate diagnosis before starting treatment. That is why we recommend seeking professional help from our experienced team of doctors of physical therapy at Core Values Physical Therapy in Orlando, you can get a full understanding of your problem and what to do about it! Whether you use your hands a lot for work, play tennis, pickleball, or any other racket sport… let us help you overcome lateral elbow pain and optimize your work or performance! 

Ready to stop guessing why your elbow hurts? Take action and schedule an appointment with one of our Doctors of Physical Therapy today!

FAQ:

• When should I see a clinician for lateral elbow pain?
  • If the pain persists after activity, wakes you up at night, or affects your daily life or performance.
• What stretches should I do?
  • Strengthening exercises may be more beneficial than stretching in many cases and will depend on the specific diagnosis.
• Should I wear an elbow brace or strap?
  • It depends on your diagnosis; sometimes, it can help, but in cases of nerve issues, it might make things worse.
• Should I get an MRI or X-ray?
  • If your symptoms result from a traumatic injury such as a fall, car accident or high impact activity, an X-ray may be needed. Otherwise, skipping expensive imaging and consulting a physical therapist will be more beneficial.