What is Tennis or Golfer’s elbow?↓

Lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow) is an irritation of the extensor tendons where they attach to the outside of the elbow, lateral epicondyle. Similarly, Golfer’s elbow or medial epicondylitis is irritation of the flexor tendons where they attach to the medial epicondyle on the inside of your elbow. The extensor muscles work with the flexors to stabilize the wrist during lifting and carrying objects. Improper technique during these activities as well as others such as computer use and tennis can lead to pain in this area and difficulty with these tasks.

Physical therapy for these injuries will likely start with patient education about activity modification to avoid continued irritation of the tissue. You will still be able to do some exercises but the first goal is to calm down the inflammation. After the full evaluation your individual sessions will likely include mobilization/manual therapy techniques to maintain full range of motion at the elbow as well as strengthening exercises for not only the elbow but likely the entire arm/shoulder as well as your “core”. Because this injury is often the result of poor form during activities, your physical therapist will also evaluate your movements as it pertains to your pain and symptoms in order to find you relief fast.

Do I need surgery?↓

Depends, the large majority of cases do not require surgery despite positive findings on MRI or imaging. Most will resolve with conservative treatment a.k.a physical therapy. During your initial evaluation and even during follow up visits, your physical therapist will educate you on how physical therapy can help with you specific symptoms and whether or not you’ll require a consultation with a surgeon.

How can physical therapy help? ↓

Because the symptoms and pain are individual, each patient will have a different presentation at therapy. A physical therapist will do a thorough medical history review including gathering all the information about your current pain levels, current functional deficits and how this impacts your daily activities. A movement assessment will be performed including observation of activities such as walking or getting in/out of a chair as well as movements specific to your pain location and symptoms. With this information your physical therapist can develop a personalized treatment plan to help relieve your back pain and get you back to your normal routine. Your physical therapist will likely prescribe a combination of exercises, stretches and activities to avoid while you’re recovering as well as advise you on how to resume activities once you find relief.