Tennis elbow is an injury that largely affects the tendons and muscles on the outside of the elbow. If you feel the joint with your opposite fingers, there is a small bony protrusion. Tendons run over this area, allowing for specific movements. When they become inflamed and irritated, it can lead to significant pain, numbness, tingling and difficulty moving the joint. The technical name for this condition is lateral epicondylitis.
The reason it is referred to as tennis elbow is that it often happens to tennis players who consistently swing a racket in a repeated motion. Swinging the racket once is typically fine, but doing so for years or decades can cause significant injury to the elbow, the wrist and the rest of the arm. Many high-level tennis players have been playing almost their entire lives and may have performed this motion thousands of times per day.
But it is important to note that you can get tennis elbow in any profession where you have to make the same repeated type of motion, so you can certainly develop it even if you have never played tennis in your life.
What other occupations are at risk?
Any occupation that involves repetitive motion could potentially put workers at risk. Some common examples include:
- Butchers
- Carpenters
- Construction workers
- Painters
- Plumbers
- Roofers
Anyone who works with hand tools has a high level of risk. A carpenter who swings a hammer thousands of times per day is not that different from a tennis player. Power tools, like an air nailer, can sometimes help, but the risk does remain.
For workers who suffer from tennis elbow or similar repetitive motion injuries, it is crucial that they know how to seek workers’ comp benefits.