What is Tennis Elbow

Host: There is condition called ‘tennis elbow’, what is tennis elbow?

Guest: Tennis elbow --

Host: First, you have to play tennis to get tennis elbow?

Guest: Majority of the tennis players don't get tennis elbow because they are professionals and they know how to play, but the weekend warriors who want to play tennis they will get tennis elbow; the reason is, they are doing backhand and they are not doing the backhand properly and when you don't do the backhand properly there is too much stress on the extensor tendon that extend the wrist, but it also happens in the people who carry heavy weights; for example, housewives who would go out and carry a heavy piece of grocery or somebody who cuts a chicken constantly or somebody who uses the wrist in extension position, it is common for them.

Host: What position is it part of, the most? If they are hurt and they come or they called you what would you be asking, you say this is probably tennis elbow?

Guest: If you extend the wrist trying to pick up something and your elbow hurts.

Host: That is the tip off, raise your wrist, your elbow hurts.

Guest: Yes.

Host: And how would you treat that?

Guest: The majority of the patient, I would say, almost 80-90% of the patients can be treated with either occupational hand therapy or by a cortisone injection; and in my opinion both of them are equally successful. So patients who don't want to have the injection I will tell them to go to therapy. Again, three to four weeks, so it takes a little time, but if somebody wants to get better quickly and does not mind the pain from the injection I will give them a cortisone injection.

Host: Is there ever a surgical procedure every time one these things?

Guest: If therapy doesn't help and the cortisone doesn't help then releasing the tendon from the bone --

Host: Have you done that at all in the last few years?

Guest: I have done it one several patients including my doctor friends who play tennis and --

Host: Obviously not well, but they are okay.

Guest: And they have been better, yes.


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