Tennis Elbow: When To Call A Doctor

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When To Call a Doctor

Call your health professional immediately if you had an injury to your elbow and:

• You have severe elbow pain.
• You cannot move your elbow normally.
• Your elbow looks deformed.
• Your elbow begins to swell within 30 minutes of the injury.
• You have signs of damage to the nerves or blood vessels. These include:
  • Numbness, tingling, or a "pins-and-needles" sensation below the injury.
  • Pale or bluish skin.
  • The injured arm feeling colder to the touch than the uninjured one.

Call your health professional if you have:

• Pain when grasping, twisting, or lifting objects.
• Work-related problems caused by your elbow pain.
• Elbow pain after 2 weeks of home treatment, or if treatment is making your elbow pain worse.

Watchful Waiting

Watchful waiting is when you and your health professional watch your symptoms to see if your health improves on its own. If it does, no treatment is necessary. If your symptoms don't get better or they get worse, then it’s time to take the next treatment step.

Home treatment often helps mild tennis elbow pain. You may want to try resting the elbow and applying ice 3 times daily for 1 to 2 weeks before calling your health professional.

Who To See

For evaluation, diagnosis, or treatment of tennis elbow, you may see:

• A primary care doctor (internist, family medicine physician, general practitioner).
• An orthopedist.
• A sports medicine specialist.
• An emergency medicine specialist.

You may be referred to a:

• Physical therapist (for stretching and strengthening exercises).
• Tennis or other sports instructor (for training in sports).
• Specialist in job-related safety or ergonomics (for work-related activities).

To prepare for your appointment, see the topic Making the Most of Your Appointment

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Last updated:	February 14, 2007
Author:	Monica Rhodes
Reviewed By:	Martin Gabica, MD - Family Medicine, David Pichora, MD, FRCSC - Orthopedic Surgery
Editors:	Kathleen M. Ariss, MS, Pat Truman