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Definition
By Mayo Clinic staff
Tennis elbow is a painful condition that occurs when tendons in your elbow are overworked, usually by repetitive motions of the wrist and arm.
Despite its name, most cases of tennis elbow occur in people who don't play tennis. People whose jobs feature the types of motions that can lead to tennis elbow include plumbers, painters, carpenters and butchers.
The pain of tennis elbow occurs primarily where the tendons of your forearm muscles attach to a bony bump on the outside of your elbow. Pain can also spread into your forearm and wrist.
Rest and over-the-counter pain relievers often help relieve tennis elbow. If conservative treatments don't help or if symptoms are disabling, your doctor might suggest surgery.
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- Jayanthi N. Epicondylitis (tennis and golf elbow). http://www.uptodate.com/home. Accessed April 16, 2013.
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- Tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis). American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00068&webid=25D9E156. Accessed April 16, 2013.
- AskMayoExpert. Lateral elbow tendinopathy. Rochester, Minn.: Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research; 2012.
- Laskowski ER (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. April 17, 2013.
- Koh JS, et al. Fasciotomy and surgical tenotomy for recalcitrant lateral elbow tendinopathy: Early clinical experience with a novel device for minimally invasive percutaneous microresection. The American Journal of Sports Medicine. 2013;41:636.
- Revolutionary treatment of tennis elbow. Mayo Clinic. http://www.mayoclinic.org/annualreport/2011/innovation/tennis_elbow.html. Accessed April 18, 2013.
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