Dr Punam Krishan recently addressed the widespread elbow disorder many face – often dismissed as exclusive to athletes – while appearing on the popular BBC Morning Live show. This medical professional cautioned viewers against underestimating what is often labelled ‘tennis elbow’ – a misnomer, as it afflicts far more than just sporty individuals.
Anyone from office workers constantly at their desks to cleaners or gardeners, who are typically engaged in repetitive labour, can be impacted by this condition. Dr Krishan emphasises that it should not be ignored.
Manifesting as discomfort on the exterior of your elbow when lifting or manipulating your arm, the pain originating from tennis elbow can be triggered even by the simple act of holding objects or movement of the wrist. Its appellation, whilst reflecting its frequency amongst tennis and other racquet sports players, doesn’t fully encapsulate how widespread tennis elbow can be.
If you suspect you might be dealing with tennis elbow, Dr Krishan recommends consulting your GP as some serious cases might call for surgical intervention. As an NHS GP, author, and a familiar face in television, Dr Krishan used her platform to guide viewers through their personal health queries.
A viewer named Louisa sought advice on tennis elbow, a condition she’s been battling for some time. Dr Krishan echoed the frequency of this malady, highlighting that its medical name is lateral epicondylitis. She clarified, contrary to popular belief, it’s largely a postural issue, not inherently linked to tennis itself.
It manifests as a blend of pain and a lit sensation on your elbow’s outer, bony part, extending to your forearm. Dr Krishan pointed out, the root cause of this lies in the recurrent micro-tears in tendons connecting muscles to the elbow bone, brought about by routine activities involving wrist rotations.
Individuals whose occupations require extensive hand movement are especially susceptible. It affects people from varied backgrounds such as gardeners, painters, musicians, cleaners and manicurists, as well as folk spending hours at their desks, with frequent mouse usage making them more prone to developing it. It could impact your grip, becoming even more unpleasant when squeezing objects, turning door knobs, or opening jars.
As per Dr Krishan, the root cause of the affliction is repeated movements leading to soreness and inflammation. Treatment varies greatly, often dependent on the severity of the condition. She suggested ‘resting’ as a primary remedy, which could be challenging if your dominant hand is affected. Using heat packs or ice and anti-inflammatories has shown to provide relief.
If such measures prove ineffective, then physiotherapy could be a viable option, aiding in identifying the weak spots, and prescribing relevant exercises for management. Elbow braces are another popular tool employed for relief.
In cases where all methods seem to falter, reaching out to your doctor is indispensable as more aggressive treatments like surgery or joint steroid injections might be necessary to combat chronic inflammation, as Dr Krishan advises.
