Tennis Elbow

May 14, 2026 | Today marks the first day of competition in the French Open at the fabled Roland Garros Stadium, the second tournament in tennis’ Grand Slam championships. Just as famous as the clay courts at Roland Garros are the injuries that hobble the professionals that compete at the top level of the sport. Tennis may be a mental game, but it also challenges players physically in many different ways. From repeated serving to explosive sprints in all directions, the sport asks a lot of the player’s body. Tennis elbow, also known as lateral epicondylitis, is a condition that can result from overuse of the muscles and tendons in the elbow. Tennis elbow is often linked to repeated motions of the wrist and arm. Despite its name, most people who get tennis elbow don’t play tennis. Some people have jobs that involve repeated movements that can lead to tennis elbow, such as plumbers, painters, carpenters and butchers.

May 14, 2026 | Tennis elbow gets its name from being a common injury among tennis players. It happens when you overuse the tendon that connects your forearm muscles to your elbow. The medical term for tennis elbow is lateral epicondylitis. Epicondylitis is inflammation in that tendon. Lateral epicondylitis means the inflammation is on the lateral side. It’s the outside edge when you hold your arms at your sides with your palms facing forward. Tennis elbow is one of the most common causes of elbow pain. Even though it’s named for tennis, that’s not the most common cause. Experts estimate that more than 9 in 10 people develop it for other reasons. Any motion that makes you grip or twist and swing your forearm often can cause lateral epicondylitis. It’s a good idea to see a medical professional if you have an elbow injury or feel pain in your elbow that doesn’t get better on its own within a week of the soreness beginning.

May 14, 2026 | Any motion or activity that you do too often can trigger tennis elbow. Extra stress from repetitive movements builds up over time. Eventually, that added use and stress on your tendon causes tiny tears. Those lead to symptoms you can feel and notice. Lots of people with tennis elbow feel a specific kind of pain in their elbow and arm. The pain usually feels sharp or burning and gets worse when you twist or bend your arm. It can also feel like it spreads from your elbow down to your forearm and into your wrist, especially at night. You might notice more pain when you use your arm for common motions. It might hurt when you turn a doorknob, open a jar or shake someone’s hand. Your grip may feel weaker in these motions. Most people develop lateral epicondylitis in their dominant arm, the side you naturally use for most activities. It’s less common, but it’s possible to develop tennis elbow in both arms at the same time.

May 14, 2026 | A medical history and physical exam is the first step in properly diagnosing tennis elbow. During the physical exam, a physician might press on the affected area or ask you to move your elbow, wrist and fingers in various ways. X-rays, sonograms or other types of imaging tests might be needed if your physician suspects something else might be causing the symptoms. Tennis elbow often gets better on its own. But if pain medicines and other self-care measures aren’t helping, physical therapy might be the next step. If symptoms are related to tennis or any tasks related to your job, an expert might look at how you play tennis or do job tasks or check your equipment. This is to find the best ways to reduce stress on injured tissue. A physical, occupational or hand therapist can teach you exercises to strengthen the muscles and tendons in the forearm. A forearm strap or brace might reduce stress on the injured tissue.

May 14, 2026 | A medical procedure, such as a shot or surgery, might help tennis elbow that doesn’t heal after other treatments have been tried. Different types of shots into the affected tendon are used to treat tennis elbow. They include corticosteroids and platelet-rich plasma. Dry needling, in which a needle gently pierces the damaged tendon in many places, also can be helpful. Needle fenestration uses ultrasound to guide a needle through a numbed tendon again and again. This starts a new healing process in the tendon. For symptoms that haven’t improved after six to 12 months of other treatments, surgery to remove damaged tissue might be an option. The surgery might be open, which uses a large cut, known as an incision. Or it can be done through several small openings, known as arthroscopic. Whatever kind of treatment is used, exercises to rebuild strength and regain use of the elbow are vital to a patient’s recovery.