Tennis Elbow Symptoms & Diagnosis

Symptoms

Symptoms include:

• Pain and tenderness on the outside of the elbow
• Pain increases when:
  • Shaking hands
  • Turning doorknobs
  • Picking up objects with your palm down
  • Hitting a backhand in tennis
  • Swinging a golf club
  • Pressing on the outside of the elbow
• Possibly pain extending down the forearm
• Tightness of forearm muscles
• Stiffness or trouble moving the elbow or wrist
• Lack of full elbow extension

Diagnosis

The doctor will ask about your symptoms and medical history, your recent physical activity, and how the injury occurred. You may not remember the event that caused the injury because tennis elbow pain develops over time. The doctor will examine your elbow for:

• Pain on the outside of the elbow when:
  • Doing certain arm motions
  • Pressing on the lateral epicondyle
• Stiffness of elbow and wrist movement

X-rays are not usually necessary. However, the doctor may x-ray your elbow to make sure the bones of the elbow are normal, and that there is no calcium deposit in the tendon attachments.