Tennis elbow and Golfer’s elbow

Tennis elbow is also known as lateral epicondylitis and Golfer’s elbow as medial epicondylitis. These conditions are due to a tendinosis (problems with the tendons that attach to the elbow).

These can occur at any age and are not always related to sport.

They present with pain on the outside (Tennis) or inside (Golfer’s) of the elbow. The pain may be felt in the forearm too.

The diagnosis is predominantly clinical but scans (US or MRI) may be needed to confirm the diagnosis and rule out other problems in the elbow.

The treatment in most cases is conservative. This includes analgesia and physiotherapy. Injections are also an option if the above fail. As a last resort, surgery can be considered. After surgery, the patient will have a wound on the outside or inside of the elbow. These will take approximately 10 days to heal. Patients will be allowed to mobilise the elbow as comfort allows.