Up to 3% of the general population get tennis elbow.1 Playing tennis is only one of many activities that can result in this tendon injury. Frequent twisting movements of the hand, wrist, or forearm usually cause tennis elbow. These are motions you use in everyday actions, such as using a screwdriver, digging in a garden, and playing racquet sports. A direct blow to the outer elbow can also cause tendon damage.
- Tennis elbow can occur at any age, but it usually occurs in adults, most commonly affecting people in their 40s.1
- Tennis elbow appears most frequently in the dominant arm—for example, your right arm if you are right-handed.
Tennis elbow is common in people who play racquet sports, including tennis. Tennis elbow in tennis players is usually caused by using the wrong technique or equipment that does not fit a person's body or strength (for example, too large of a grip on the racquet).
Credits
| Author | Shannon Erstad, MBA/MPH |
| Editor | Kathleen M. Ariss, MS |
| Associate Editor | Pat Truman, MATC |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | William M. Green, MD - Emergency Medicine |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine |
| Specialist Medical Reviewer | Kenneth J. Koval, MD - Orthopedic Surgery, Orthopedic Trauma |
| Specialist Medical Reviewer | Patrick J. McMahon, MD - Orthopedics |
| Last Updated | January 28, 2009 |
Author:Shannon Erstad, MBA/MPH
Last Updated: 01/28/2009
