Clinically known as lateral epicondylitis, tennis elbow is a painful condition around the outside of the elbow caused by overuse or repeated action of the muscles in the forearm near the elbow joint. As the name suggests, playing tennis or other racquet sports can cause this condition, but any activity or other sports that puts pressure on the elbow joint can increase the risk for tennis elbow. Symptoms of tennis elbow develop gradually. The pain may begin as mild and slowly progresses over weeks and months. Common signs and symptoms of tennis elbow are pain or burning on the outer part of the elbow, weak grip strength and sometimes pain at night.
Tennis elbow can go away through nonsurgical treatment like wearing assistive devices, taking NSAID medications and physical therapy. Surgery is often recommended if symptoms do not improve after six to 12 months of nonsurgical treatments. Tennis elbow can last six months to two years; full recovery may take a year in most cases.
