What happens if tennis elbow doesn’t go away?
You can usually treat tennis elbow with rest, pain relievers, an elbow brace, and a few adjustments to your game or other activities. If the pain doesn’t improve in 6 to 12 months or it affects your ability to do simple things such as lift your cup, it might be time to talk about surgery with your doctor.
Why does it take tennis elbow so long to heal?
Tennis elbow is a painful and disabling condition that is said to develop through overuse, but why does it then refuse to heal and defy treatment? The reason is that there is an often overlooked issue that creates stress on the elbow that contributes to the condition developing, then prevents it from healin.
Does tennis elbow ever fully heal?
Tennis elbow will get better without treatment (known as a self-limiting condition). Tennis elbow usually lasts between 6 months and 2 years, with most people (90%) making a full recovery within a year. The most important thing to do is to rest your injured arm and stop doing the activity that caused the problem.
Treatment for Tennis Elbow
- Icing the elbow to reduce pain and swelling.
- Using an elbow strap to protect the injured tendon from further strain.
- Taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen, naproxen, or aspirin, to help with pain and swelling.
Can tennis elbow lead to permanent damage?
Pain from tennis elbow can make it hard to work or do physical activities. The condition can also affect your grip, which can make it difficult to grasp items. In general, tennis elbow doesn’t cause serious, long-term problems.
When should I worry about tennis elbow?
You may feel pain when doing nothing at all, but usually pain is triggered by particular movements, especially wrist movements that tug on the tendon at the elbow. You can have tennis elbow in one or both arms. If you have symptoms after a week or so, or if they get worse, it’s time to call your doctor.
What can be mistaken for tennis elbow?
There’s a reason many patients confuse tennis elbow and golfer’s elbow. They share quite a few characteristics: Both are overuse injuries, caused by repetitive motions involving your arm and wrist. They both are characterized by damage to the tendons that attach your forearm muscles to the bone at your elbow.
What are the long term effects of tennis elbow?
What are the complications of tennis elbow? Pain from tennis elbow can make it hard to work or do physical activities. The condition can also affect your grip, which can make it difficult to grasp items. In general, tennis elbow doesn’t cause serious, long-term problems.
Can untreated tennis elbow cause permanent damage?
If left untreated, tennis elbow may become chronic and last for months, even years, especially if you continue the repetitive activity that caused the problem. There may also be nerve entrapment in the forearm, which is why it’s important to see a specialist for an accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment.
Is tennis elbow a permanent injury?
Tennis elbow can turn into a chronic problem if not treated by a professional. Oftentimes, people who develop tennis elbow may not see a doctor and attribute it to just getting older. They may rest, take pain-relievers, and get back in the game without proper rehabilitation.
What happens if tennis elbow gets worse?
As the condition worsens, your grip may weaken. You may feel pain even when lifting light objects, such as a small book or coffee cup. Pain may increase when you press on the outside of your elbow. In addition to pain, you may have swelling around your elbow joint.
Can tennis elbow lead to other problems?
It’s classified as an overuse injury due to repetitive motions, which means continuing with the activity that caused it can lead to a worsening of the injury. Tennis elbow needs to be evaluated by a doctor to rule out other conditions that it shares symptoms with.
Tennis elbow often gets better on its own. But if over-the-counter pain medications and other self-care measures aren’t helping, your doctor may suggest physical therapy. Severe cases of tennis elbow may require surgery.
- Injections.
- Ultrasonic tenotomy (TENEX procedure).
- Surgery.
Is tennis elbow a serious problem?
The pain may result from tiny tears in the tendon. Tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis) is a painful condition that occurs when tendons in your elbow are overloaded, usually by repetitive motions of the wrist and arm. Despite its name, athletes aren’t the only people who develop tennis elbow.
Can tennis elbow become serious?
In fact, symptoms may actually worsen. Tennis elbow can turn into a chronic problem if not treated by a professional. Oftentimes, people who develop tennis elbow may not see a doctor and attribute it to just getting older. They may rest, take pain-relievers, and get back in the game without proper rehabilitation.
How do you know if you have severe tennis elbow?
Symptoms include pain, burning, or an ache along the outside of the forearm and elbow. It gets worse and may spread down to the wrist if the person continues the activity that causes the condition. The grip may become weak. Lateral epicondylitis is diagnosed by an exam of the elbow joint.