Tennis Elbow

Tennis elbow is one of the most common injuries seen in orthopedics. This is an overuse injury when small, repetitive injuries to the lateral aspect of the elbow cause degeneration of the tendons that allow you to extend and bring backward your wrist and fingers.

Tennis elbow can be caused by a number of activities, including tennis, golf, weightlifting, cycling or even carrying a heavy briefcase.

The best treatment for tennis elbow is prevention:

• Make sure your equipment is appropriate. Use a racket with the correct grip, weight, strings and string tension.

• Do simple exercises such as wrist curls and reverse wrist curls to keep your forearms strong and flexible.

• Make sure your technique is correct. Incorrect technique is the most common reason for injury.

If you should get tennis elbow, it is best to first try and treat this with resting, icing and stretching. If this does not help, consult your physician.

If you'd like to receive a "Safe Summer" packet in the mail, please send your name and address to info@southcoast.org. The packet includes sun screen, summer recipes and our tip cards.

This information is not a substitute for consultation with a personal physician.