Tennis and Golfer's elbow

Tennis Elbow(lateral epicondylitis)Outside of Elbow
Cause & Symptoms
The onset of pain, on the outside (lateral) of the elbow, is usually gradual with tenderness felt on or below the joint's bony prominence. Movements such as gripping, lifting and carrying tend to be troublesome.

Golfer’s Elbow(medial epicondylitis)Inside of Elbow
Cause & Symptoms
The causes of golfer's elbow are similar to tennis elbow but pain and tenderness are felt on the inside (medial) of the elbow, on or around the joint's bony prominence.

Tendons?

Tendons themselves are cords of tough, fibrous connective tissue that attach muscles to bones. Tendonitis is an inflammation of the tendon. The condition may also involve the tendon sheath usually occurring close to where the tendon goes into the muscle.
Tendons are generally healthy structures that appear glistening white to the naked eye. If you've ever carved a turkey, the tendons are the tough bands you cut through to get the drumsticks apart.

Prognosis, Recurrence and Prevention of tendonitis

Expectations (prognosis)
Symptoms improve with treatment and rest. If the injury is caused by overuse, a change in work habits may be indicated to prevent recurrence of the problem.
Complications

Recurrence of tendonitis
Chronic inflammation of the tendon predisposes it to further injury, such as rupture.
Calling your health care provider
Call for an appointment with your health care provider if symptoms of tendinitis occur.

Prevention
Avoid repetitive motion and overuse of an extremity
Warm up by exercising at a relaxed pace before engaging in vigorous activity
Keep all your muscles strong and flexible

The facts on tendonitis treatment

The goal of treatment is to relieve pain and reduce inflammation.
Rest or immobilization of the affected tendons is helpful for recovery. This may be achieved using a splint or a removable brace. The application of heat or cold to the affected area can help.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs), such as aspirin or ibuprofen, can also reduce both pain and inflammation. Steroid injections into the tendon sheath can also be very useful in controlling pain and allowing physical therapy to start.
Physical therapy that stretches and strengthens the muscle and tendon is essential. This can restore the tendon's ability to function properly, improve healing, and prevent future injury.
Rarely, surgery is needed to physically remove the inflammatory tissue from around the tendon.

Tendinitis overview

Definition
Tendinitis is inflammation, irritation, and swelling of a tendon, which is the fibrous structure that joins muscle to bone. In many cases, tendinosis (tendon degeneration) is also present.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors
Tendinitis can occur as a result of injury, overuse, or with aging as the tendon loses elasticity. It can also be seen in systemic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis or diabetes. Tendinitis can occur in any tendon, but some commonly affected sites are the shoulder, the wrist, the heel (Achilles tendonitis), and the elbow.

Symptoms
Pain and tenderness along a tendon, usually in proximity to a joint (hip pain, knee pain, shoulder pain, elbow pain, wrist pain, or pain in other joints)
Pain is worse with movement or activity
Pain at night

Signs and tests
On physical exam, a doctor will look for tenderness along the affected tendon and pain when the muscle to which the tendon is attached is used against resistance. There are specific tests for specific tendons. The tendon can be inflamed and the overlying skin may be warm and red.

Medical research on tendonitis

Vitamin E may speed up the regeneration of tendons through action on fibroblasts. Research also suggests that nitric oxide plays an important role in tendon healing and inhibition of NO synthesis impairs tendon healing. A potential implication is the supplementing with arginine, the amino acid that the body uses to form NO. Other preliminary research suggests that the injection of stem cells might promote tendon-injury healing. Completely ruptured tendons may be sutured together with or without grafted material.

More remedies

Walk bowlegged. Okay, maybe you don't have to go that far. But for Achilles tendinitis, wearing cowboy boots or high heels some of the time is a fine idea, according to Dr. Percy. "It lifts the heel off the ground," he says, "and the muscles and tendons don't have to work as hard."

Go over-the-counter. Aspirin and other nonprescription, nonsteroidal, anti-inflammatory drugs are effective temporary pain relievers for tendinitis, Dr. Percy says. They also reduce inflammation and swelling.

Strengthen. "When we say strengthen, we're not asking people to be an Arnold Schwarzenegger," Mangine says, "just to get better defined muscles by working out at home with light weights. You can even use pennies in a sock to work arm muscles." And that's a lot cheaper than a set of weights.

Take breaks. This is a simple way to at least temporarily relieve physical stress at work, says Scott Donkin, D.C., a chiropractor in Lincoln, Nebraska, and author of Sitting on the Job. "If you work in an awkward position," he says, "tendinitis can develop quite easily. Especially in the arms or wrists if you're working at a keyboard or typewriter all day.''