Tennis elbow facts for kids

Tennis elbow is a condition that makes the outside of your elbow feel sore and tender. It's also sometimes called archer's elbow. This soreness often happens when people play tennis, golf, or other sports that use a racquet or club.

What Is Tennis Elbow?

Tennis elbow is a common problem. It happens when the tendons in your forearm, which connect muscles to bones, get tiny tears. These tendons are used to straighten your wrist and fingers. When they get overworked, they can become painful and inflamed.

Why Does Tennis Elbow Happen?

Tennis elbow is usually caused by repeating the same arm and wrist movements over and over. This can put a lot of stress on the tendons in your elbow.

Here are some common reasons it might happen:

• Repetitive Movements: Doing the same action many times, like typing on a keyboard, using a computer mouse, or even some types of mountain climbing, can strain your elbow. This is a type of Repetitive strain injury.
• Poor Technique: If you use the wrong form or technique when playing sports like tennis or golf, it can put extra stress on your elbow tendons.
• Bad Posture: Holding your body or arm in an awkward position for a long time can also contribute to the problem.

How Can Tennis Elbow Be Treated?

If you have tennis elbow, there are several ways to help your arm feel better and heal. The main goal is to reduce pain and allow the tendons to recover.

Some common treatments include:

• Rest: Giving your arm a break from the activities that caused the pain is very important.
• Physical Therapy: A physical therapist can teach you special exercises to strengthen your forearm muscles and improve flexibility.
• Medication: Over-the-counter medicines like ibuprofen or aspirin can help reduce pain and swelling. These are called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
• Hot or Cold Packs: Applying ice packs to your elbow can help with pain and swelling, especially right after an activity. Heat packs can help relax muscles.
• Braces or Straps: Wearing a special brace or strap around your forearm can help reduce the strain on the injured tendons while they heal.

Images for kids

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  Example of repetitive movement that may cause tennis elbow

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  Still shot from a 3D medical animation illustrating Tennis Elbow

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  A counterforce brace helps reduce strain on arm muscles

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  A wrist brace can help reduce stress on the elbow area

See also

In Spanish: Epicondilitis para niños