Here’s Why You Have Tennis Elbow Even if You Don’t Play Tennis

Over the past six weeks or so I have really been having a tough time with pain in my left elbow. This is significant because I don't like pain and I am left-handed. I thought at first maybe I was dealing with arthritis, after all, I am a man of a certain age if you know what I mean, but it turns out while arthritis might have a little to do with my discomfort the bulk of the problem I am experiencing is apparently caused by the words you are reading.

According to those who bothered to go to medical school and not just look up symptoms on Google, my "tennis elbow" is more accurately defined as tendonitis or lateral epicondylitis. You get that by performing activities that involve repetitive lifting with the palm down, gripping and squeezing.

Since you're going through the motions in your head, let me simplify your visualizations. Activities such as racquet sports like tennis, squash, and racquetball can certainly play a part in the onset of the malady. Other repetitive motions such as using garden shears, oops I've done that a lot during the pandemic and typing can cause the issue too.

Typing you say? Yep, typing as in writing these stories and articles for you can also lead to tennis elbow. I bring that up to you because I bet you have been typing on your computer or tablet a lot more than usual over these past six weeks or so.

If you do have pain in your elbow it can be controlled usually with over the counter medications. I have had good results with ibuprofen although my wife says I should take Tylenol because ibuprofen has been put on the bad list where COVID-19 is concerned.

My doctor has recommended a rest. My boss has recommended I keep writing, so I will go with ibuprofen, ice, and a brace. The brace is actually a strap that goes around your forearm. I don't know why squeezing the forearm works to alleviate pain but it does. I suggest you try it. Or maybe you can be like me and invest in a talk-to-type piece of software for your computer.