A Case Study on Tennis Elbow

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A Case Study on Tennis Elbow Subject – Female 32years typist and elite amateur golfer Introduction Lateral epicondylitis / lateral epicondylalgia or tennis elbow is a common pathology of both athletes and non athletes affecting 1-3% of the population at large (Greenfield et al 2002). The lack of pathological evidence of inflammation in these types of injuries has led most authors to now refer to this condition as an epicondylosis. It is a term applied to a strain of the wrist extensor muscles at four possible sights (Cyraix & Cyraix 1983, Cyriax 1984). The four sites are:- 1. The teno-osseous junction of the common extensor tendon from the anteolateral aspect of the lateral epicondyle 2. The origin of the carpi radialis longus from the supra condylar ridge 3. The body of the common extensor tendon 4. The bellies of the extensor muscles It is generally caused by repetitive movements of the wrist either by work or sports related activities. The wrist extensor muscles are being forcibly stretched beyond their comfortable length, repeatedly contracted beyond their endurance limits or a combination of being stretched & forced to contract under a high demand being placed upon them. There can be contributing factors such as cervical root irritation shoulder problems or neural tension all of which can contribute to lateral epicondylar pain and make exact diagnosis difficult. Symptoms can be a gradual onset or can come on suddenly and usually presents in the middle aged with an average episode lasting anything from a few weeks in mild cases to six months or even up to two years in some persistent cases. (Cyriax 1998) In the past I have mainly treated this condition as an inflammatory problem the treatment being focused around resting, icing & the use of NSAIDs, progressing to the use of heat, electrotherapy and strengthening rehabilitation with only about a
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