Sports Medicine

Tennis Elbow

Signs and Symptoms
Diagnosis
Treatment

Signs and Symptoms

Tennis elbow is a strain of the lateral forearm muscles near their origin on the lateral rounded protuberance (condyle) at the end of the humerous (forearm bone).

Symptoms include:

• Recurring pain on the outside of the upper forearm just below the bend of the elbow; occasionally, pain radiates down the arm toward the wrist
• Pain caused by lifting or bending the arm or grasping even light objects such as a coffee cup
• Difficulty extending the full forearm fully because of inflamed muscles, tendons and ligaments
• Pain that typically lasts for six to 12 weeks; the discomfort can continue for as little as three weeks or as long as several years

Reviewed by health care specialists at UCSF Medical Center.
Last updated May 8, 2007