Tennis elbow / Lateral Epicondylitis / Lateral Epicondylalgia
Definition: It’s an overuse tendinopathy of the common extensor tendon origin in the lateral elbow. It’s not an inflammatory condition.
Conservative treatment.
-Rest: Modify her work routines to offload the involved tendons. This would improve the patient’s long-term outcome.
-NSAIDs: Ibuprofen 800 mg TID. Voltaren gel (Diclofenac topical) if systemic NSAIDs are contraindicated.
-Physical Therapy: Will improve pain and function in the short-term but not long-term at 1 year.
-Brace: Tennis Elbow Brace.
-F/u 1 month
If this it doesn’t resolve, will consider:
Referral to Sports Medicine / Orthopedic surgery
**Don’t do steroid injections in tennis elbow: While their use reduces acute pain for up to six weeks, it increases rates of poor long-term outcomes.
**Lateral epicondylalgia – is used to indicate the fact that the condition is non-inflammatory in nature.
Reference