Why You’re Experiencing Wrist & Elbow Pain During Tennis

The repetitive impact your dominant hand and arm experience when you hit a tennis ball can cause damage to your tendons, despite how light the ball and racket might be. In fact, injuries such as these are so common they’ve been dubbed “tennis elbow.” But this painful injury isn’t specific to tennis players.

What is Tennis Elbow?

Tennis elbow is a condition caused by overuse of the arm, elbow, wrist, and hand. It can be brought on by repetitive motion or one, sudden movement, and it affects the tendons at the outside of the elbow. This tendon, the lateral epicondyle, tears, causing pain.

Pain may grow slowly, or, in rarer cases, begin suddenly. It can become worse when squeezing or grasping objects and moving them.

How to Prevent Elbow Pain

You can reduce your risk of developing tennis elbow by reducing stress on your joints. Make sure you’re using the correct equipment — whether you’re a carpenter or a tennis player, the right tools can diminish your risk of hurting yourself greatly. Using a counter-force brace and avoiding tight gripping of the hand or overuse of the writs can help.

Seeking Treatment for Tennis Elbow

Once you have developed tennis elbow you should follow the basic care steps for most minor injuries: rest and ice. In addition to this, you can take a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID), like ibuprofen. Modifying movements and braces is another way to relive pain.

If you believe you have tennis elbow, it is best to seek professional help before any further damage is done to your tendon. Contact the specialists at Atlanta Hand Specialist at any location across North Atlanta to begin treatment. Schedule your appointment online, or call us at 770-333-7888.