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Causes
By Mayo Clinic staff
Tennis elbow is an overuse injury. The cause is repeated contraction of the forearm muscles that you use to straighten and raise your hand and wrist. The repeated motions and stress to the tissue may result in inflammation or a series of tiny tears in the tendons that attach the forearm muscles to the bone at the outside of your elbow.
As the name tennis elbow indicates, playing tennis — particularly, repeated use of the backhand stroke with poor technique — is one possible cause of the condition. However, many other common arm motions, including using plumbing tools, painting, raking and weaving, can cause tennis elbow.
- Jayanthi N. Epicondylitis. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Aug. 4, 2008.
- Sheon RP. Patient information: Elbow tendonitis (tennis and golf elbow). http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Aug. 4, 2008.
- Tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis). American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00068&return_link=0. Accessed Aug. 4, 2008.
- Calfee RP, et al. Management of lateral epicondylitis: Current concepts. Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. 2008;16(1):19-29.
- Assendelft W, Clinical review: Tennis elbow. BMJ. 2003;327(7410):329-330.
