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The main symptom of tennis elbow is pain on the outside of your elbow.
The pain may range from mild discomfort when you move your arm to constant pain that can affect your sleep.
It may be worse when:
Other symptoms of tennis elbow include:
There are a number of things you can do to help ease the symptoms of tennis elbow.
avoid or reduce activities that make your symptoms worse
use paracetamol or rub an anti-inflammatory gel onto the affected area to help ease the pain
try using a hot or cold pack (or a bag of frozen peas) wrapped in a towel on the affected area for up to 20 minutes every 2 to 3 hours
try doing simple exercises, such as bending and straightening your arm
try wearing a forearm strap or a wrist or elbow brace – you can buy these from pharmacies
Do not smoke or go near naked flames if you're using ibuprofen gel because it's flammable and there's a risk of severe burns.
In many areas you may be able to get help, such as physiotherapy, from NHS community musculoskeletal (MSK) services without needing a referral from a GP.
Tennis elbow usually gets better after resting your arm for a few weeks, but it can sometimes last longer.
A GP may give you anti-inflammatory tablets.
Physiotherapy may help if your symptoms have not improved after trying treatments at home for 6 weeks.
Physiotherapy treatments may include:
Surgery may be an option if you still have tennis elbow after 6 to 12 months.
Tennis elbow is where the tendons in your elbow become inflamed. Tendons are strong cords that connect muscle to bone.
You can get tennis elbow if you do activities that involve gripping something and repeatedly twisting your wrist and forearm.
Activities that can cause tennis elbow include:
Anyone can get tennis elbow but it's more common in people between 35 and 54 years of age.
