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Symptoms

By Mayo Clinic staff

Tennis elbow symptoms may include:

  • Pain that radiates from the outside of your elbow into your forearm and wrist
  • Pain when you extend your wrist
  • Forearm weakness
  • Pain that gets worse over weeks or months
  • A painful grip during certain activities, such as shaking hands or turning a doorknob
  • An inability to hold certain objects, such as a coffee cup

The pain of tennis elbow is similar to golfer's elbow. But golfer's elbow occurs on the inside — rather than on the outside — of your elbow.

When to see a doctor
Talk to your doctor if self-care steps such as rest, ice and use of over-the-counter pain relievers don't ease your elbow pain and tenderness. Seek immediate care if:

  • Your elbow is hot and inflamed, and you have a fever
  • You can't bend your elbow
  • Your elbow looks deformed
  • You suspect you've broken a bone
References
  1. Jayanthi N. Epicondylitis. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Aug. 4, 2008.
  2. Sheon RP. Patient information: Elbow tendonitis (tennis and golf elbow). http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Aug. 4, 2008.
  3. Tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis). American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00068&return_link=0. Accessed Aug. 4, 2008.
  4. Calfee RP, et al. Management of lateral epicondylitis: Current concepts. Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. 2008;16(1):19-29.
  5. Assendelft W, Clinical review: Tennis elbow. BMJ. 2003;327(7410):329-330.

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Oct. 25, 2008

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