BLOG: My tennis elbow
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So, yes, I do have a “tennis elbow.”
And, yes, I have played tennis in the past. But I have not played this popular sport as much as I have played and still play table tennis, aka Ping Pong as Americans call the sport. The rest of the world calls it table tennis.
My passion for table tennis goes back to middle school, and we have a tennis table in our basement — and, yes, all my kids (two boys and two girls) grew up playing table tennis with some pressure from their dad, obviously.
I also have sporadically played some pickleball.
These sports involve firmly holding a racket or paddle in the hand and hitting a ball with all the skills and maneuvers that the sports display. But at the same time, these sports require strenuous — and potentially harmful — use of the hand, the elbow and the shoulder.
A condition referred to as lateral epicondylitis may result. I like more the folksy and more popular name tennis elbow.
But let me digress.
As a right-handed individual, I play those strenuous sports with the racket in my right hand.
Yes, occasionally, and out of curiosity, I have played with my left hand, but I rarely have used the left hand. And, intriguingly, I have found out that only left-handed people can use their left hand (or left leg) effectively.
On a personal note, and incidentally, my daughter and her husband are both left-handed. It is quite rare for a couple to be left-handed, but that is another story for another day.
OK, so although I do not use my left hand in these sports, I was diagnosed with tennis elbow of the left side, back in 2017. I was treated with steroid injection into the elbow, and that was quite effective. I have not had any recurrence until last month.
The nagging pain in the elbow returned, as well as known limitations of movements. It is quite annoying.
So, I went to see my sports doctor again, and I received another steroid injection last week. Within 48 hours, the pain, discomfort, limited joint mobility all resolved like magic!
Tennis elbow is diagnosed by clinical exam. The clinician will perform a simple maneuver that will trigger the pain. MRI will confirm the diagnosis. My MRI report read: “There is partial tearing of the common extensor tendon from the lateral epicondyle of the humerus.”
Interestingly, the term “tennis elbow” may be a misnomer. While tennis players do experience this condition, it is not caused only by playing tennis. According to the Mayo Clinic website, tennis elbow is the result of overuse of elbow muscles and tendons, a repetitive movement injury of the wrist and arm.
“Despite its name, most people who get tennis elbow don't play tennis. Some people have jobs that involve repeated movements that can lead to tennis elbow. These include plumbers, painters, carpenters, and butchers,” according to the Mayo Clinic website.
In my case, and as explained by my doctor, most likely my tennis elbow resulted from improper use of my left hand in typing on the keyboard.
I would like to blame electronic medical records for this malady.
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