Tennis elbow is a repetitive strain injury. It is technically called lateral epicondylitis—a name that indicates that there is inflammation in the tendons on the lateral side of the elbow. The pain and discomfort usually happens near the small bump that you can feel when you bend your elbow. Muscles and tendons run over the top of the joint, and inflammation can make it difficult or painful to move your arm.
The reason this is often called tennis elbow is because it is common for tennis players. They make the same swinging motion with the tennis racket thousands of times every day that they practice or play a match. Swinging the racket once usually does not cause any issues, but this cumulative damage can lead to inflammation.
What workers are prone to developing this kind of injury?
One important thing for workers to remember is that it is the motion that is causing the injury –not specifically playing tennis. Most people who develop tennis elbow have simply been doing something on a consistent basis that causes similar issues.
An example could be someone who has a job where they have to swing a hammer. Maybe they are a construction worker or a roofer, for example. A person who spends years or even decades of their career using a hammer extensively could start to develop this type of repetitive strain injury. It could eventually require them to stop doing the kind of work they’re used to.
Repetitive stress injuries often need medical intervention, and the pain and discomfort can keep someone from working — even if they just need rest to recover. When injuries are work-related, employees need to know how to successfully seek workers’ comp benefits.