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Tennis Elbow
What is tennis elbow?
Tennis elbow is a repetitive stress injury of the elbow that occurs when the muscles and tendons in the elbow area are torn or damaged. |
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What causes tennis elbow? |
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Tennis elbow is usually caused by repetitive activities that strain the tendons in the elbow area, such as using a manual screwdriver or hitting backhand in tennis. |
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What are the symptoms of tennis elbow? |
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The following are the most common symptoms of tennis elbow. However, each adolescent may experience symptoms differently. Symptoms may include:
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- Pain, especially over the outside area of the elbow.
- Pain with wrist movement.
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The symptoms of tennis elbow may resemble other conditions or medical problems. Always consult your adolescent's physician for a diagnosis. |
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Treatment for tennis elbow: |
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Specific treatment for tennis elbow will be determined by your adolescent's physician based on:
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- Your adolescent's age, overall health, and medical history.
- Extent of the injury.
- Your adolescent's tolerance for specific medications, procedures or therapies.
- Expectations for the course of the condition.
- Your opinion or preference.
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Treatment may include:
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- Rest the area.
- Ice packs to the area.
- Stretching and strengthening exercises.
- Wearing an elbow strap called a counterforce brace.
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicines such as ibuprofen (NSAIDs).
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Prevention of tennis elbow: |
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Some tips for preventing injury include the following:
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- Perform warm-up and cool-down exercises before and after tennis play that includes stretching the muscles in the arm.
- Use appropriately-sized tennis equipment. Racquet handles and heads that are too big or too small or strings that are too tight or too loose can put more stress on the elbow.
- Evaluate poor tennis technique that may be contributing to the problem. Learn new ways to play that avoid repeated stress on the joints.
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