SATURDAY, March 22, 2003 (HealthDayNews) -- Tennis elbow and its cousin, golfer's elbow, are not just for tennis and golf players.
They can affect anyone who engages in repetitive movements, even away from the court or the green.
Repetitive motion tends to weaken the tendons in the elbow area, making them prone to tearing. With tennis elbow, it's the tendon on the outside of the elbow that is damaged. With golfer's elbow, it's the tendon on the inside of the elbow. In both cases, the person feels pain in the elbow area and often has difficult performing such simple tasks as gripping a coffee cup or extending the forearm fully.
The first step to treating tennis or golfer's elbow is to stop the activity that caused it, take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication such as ibuprofen, and apply ice to the elbow. You can also try wrapping a compression band around your forearm to reduce pain.
In some cases, patients will have to move on to cortisone injections and even surgery followed by physical therapy.
The best strategy is prevention:
More information
The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons has more on the condition.