Misconceptions

• Most people who experience tennis elboware not tennis players. WebMD claims that less than 5 percent of all tennis elbow diagnoses have any connection to tennis.
  
  

Distinction

• Professional sources often identify "tennis elbow" and "golfer's elbow" as two different conditions.
  
  Tennis elbow is said to affect the lateral epicondyle (or the area outside the elbow), while golfer's elbow affects the medial epicondylitis (inside the elbow).
  
  Another difference: A tennis player will usually feel pain in the dominant arm, a golfer in the nondominant arm.
  
  

Identification

• Anyone experiencing extreme tenderness in the elbow area should schedule a screening with his physician.
  
  During a medical examination, your doctor will likely test specific movements--asking you to bend your wrist while straightening your elbow, for example. Those findings help determine whether you're suffering from tennis/golfer's elbow, or a copycat condition (e.g. a pinched nerve or radial tunnel syndrome).
  
  

Causes

• Tennis/golfer's elbow is simply one variation of tendonitis, a condition caused by the inflammation of a tendon. When repeatedly overused (or abruptly strained), a tendon's fibers can tear apart, just as a rope will fray if pulled too often or too hard.
  
  If a torn tendon is reactivated without rest and healing--this is often the case with devoted tennis players and golfers--such microscopic tears can lead to growing discomfort.
  
  

Treatment

• Under the supervision of a doctor, any combination of the following may be used to treat tennis/golfer's elbow:
  
  1) Stretching the aggravated muscles before games.
  2) Resting between games.
  3) Wearing an elbow brace or compression strap.
  4) Applying ice to the area for 15 minutes after stressful activity.
  5) Taking oral nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
  6) Taking nonprescription pain medication (ibuprofen, for example).
  7) Injecting a cortisone-type medication into the affected area.
  
  

Prevention

• Here are a few tips--divided by sport--for avoiding a stressed elbow.
  
  Tennis
  Brush up on proper swing technique. A faulty backhand is often to blame for fatigue in the forearms.
  Use new tennis balls. Dead or wet balls are heavier, requiring more exertion.
  Ease up on your string tension. If your strings are too tight, they'll absorb impact less efficiently (placing more burden on your arm).
  Switch to a smaller or lighter racquet.
  
  Golf
  Use graphite shafts and low-compression balls.
  Practice on real turf rather than rubber mats.
  Bring the club back slowly on your backswing.