Risk factors

The condition usually occurs in occupational activities and sports which involves repetitive wrist motion or a power grip (1).

• some examples are plumbing; playing a musical instrument; painting; weaving; raking; using screwdrivers, pliers, and hammers; fishing; engaging in arm wrestling, racket sports, and other twisting movements; and lifting objects with an extended wrist (2)

Although the condition is named as tennis elbow, tennis is a direct cause in only 5% of people with lateral epicondylitis (3).

• if the condition is caused by playing tennis it is the backhand stroke that is usually results in excessive loading of the tendons at the common extensor origin (3):
  • with racquet frames became lighter, coaches teaching the double handed backhand stroke and a weekly routine of training and playing which regularly loads the tendons and keeps them healthy, the condition is less common in tennis players nowadays

More typically the condition occurs due to overuse of a previously underused and atrophied tendon. This is specially seen in people who begin exercising at the gym, start doing some gardening, painting a room, lifting a new baby, or even just carry heavy luggage on holiday after living a sedentary life style for years (4).

Reference:

• (1) Finestone HM, Rabinovitch DL. Tennis elbow no more: practical eccentric and concentric exercises to heal the pain. Can Fam Physician. 2008;54(8):1115-6.
• (2) Flatt AE. Tennis elbow. Proc (Bayl Univ Med Cent). 2008;21(4):400-2.
• (3) Buchbinder R, Green SE, Struijs P. Tennis elbow. Clin Evid (Online). 2008;2008. pii: 1117
• (4) Orchard J, Kountouris A. The management of tennis elbow. BMJ. 2011;342:d2687