Causes and Treatment of Lateral Epicondylitis

Lateral epicondylitis is a condition where the muscle at the elbow experiences minor tears (microtrauma) mainly as a result of repetitive stress on the muscle. The annual incidence of this condition ranges from 1% to 3% among the general population. Lateral epicondylitis is more prevalent among persons aged 35 to 54 years and has an incidence of 4 -7 cases in 1000 patients (Lebrun, 2008). Some of the activities that may result into such trauma include: using heavy hand-held tools, undesirable throwing mechanics, and overuse of the elbow especially in tennis backhand with overuse of one hand common in racquet sports. This is one of the reasons why lateral epicondylitis is commonly known as tennis elbow.