LATERAL EPICONDYLITIS (TENNIS ELBOW)

The lateral epicondylitis is better known as tennis elbow. Incidentally, it's called tennis elbow but we rarely see many tennis players with this condition. Tennis players do indeed injure and often strain the elbow however as the tendon is loaded consistently this can negates the chronic development.

It's a tendinopathy of the common extensor mechanism, the muscles that bring the wrist up to the ceiling, the hinging action of the wrist. Essentially, there's a particular tendon that we frequently see become injured. In a lot of patients, we see a substantial amount of power in the forearm muscles, but the point of attachment of this tendon is quite weak. As a result, a sudden force, a sudden explosion, causes interstitial tearing where the tendon attaches to the bone. That is enough to cause a nasty inflammatory situation.

This is not usually thought to be an inflammatory disorder though. Instead it’s a condition caused by regular overloading that causes the micro traumas leading the tendon to degenerate/deteriorate with time.

Your symptoms are very likely to be tenderness on the outside of the elbow, morning stiffness with persistent aching, soreness of the forearms and pain is worsened by gripping or holding an object

Fortunately, this condition responds very well to Shockwave. The diagnosis is usually a clinical assessment, ultrasound scan is often used, or even an MRI. 

There are similarities across all the conditions we describe. These are usually degenerative in nature, confirmed by lab work, but there is often a new found injury to the effected area. 

The treatment is very successful, it's safe and effective for patients who have suffered for more than 6 months.

Next Steps

Here are the 3 steps to discover if Shockwave is right for you:

• If you want to read more about Shockwave Therapy, download a free copy of The Shockwave Solution book
• If you have a specific condition, however you are not sure Shockwave is an appropriate course of treatment, complete a free, confidential Online Assessment.
• If you are ready to see if Shockwave is right for you, call to schedule an assessment appointment 020 8662 1155