Both tennis and golfer’s elbow are forms of tendinitis or swelling of the tendons. Tennis Elbow results from inflammation of the tendon along the outside of the elbow, and can affect you even if you have never set foot on a tennis court.
Tennis elbow comes from any repetitive gripping activity that involves using the thumb and first two fingers:
- Knitting
- Raking
- Painting
- Carpentry
- Typing
- sports such as tennis, racquetball, squash, fencing and weight lifting
Golfer’s Elbow
Golfer’s elbow is an overuse injury and a relative of tennis elbow, causing pain and inflammation in the tendon that connects the forearm to the elbow along the inside of the elbow.
Golfer’s elbow is not just a golfer’s condition. It is caused by activities that involve repetitive flexing, gripping or swinging and can also affect people who garden, bowl, golf, play baseball, garden, paint and do carpentry.
Both Tennis Elbow and Golfer’s Elbow are treated first non-surgically, often with injections to reduce pain and inflammation. If this is not effective, surgery to remove the section of tendon that is damaged and repair the remaining tendon will be needed.
