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Diagnosis
Most patients visit their doctor when the pain becomes unbearable or when they are no longer able to do manual work or sports. Your doctor will perform an examination that includes testing the site of tenderness, testing the range of motion of your elbow and wrist, and a neurological examination of your hands to make sure that there is no numbness or weakness of muscles.
The doctor may recommend some tests after the physical examination, though this is not always necessary because a physical examination is often sufficient.
Such imaging tests include:
- X-ray of the elbow: X-ray of the elbow is not routinely indicated, but it may be requested when another diagnosis is suspected such as a fracture, or when the condition fails to resolve, which increases the suspicion of another condition called osteochondritis dissecans. In this condition, there is degeneration of the joint cartilage, resulting in chronic pain.
- CT scan of the elbow: CT scan is a high-resolution scan that can help detect even minor bone injuries of the elbow including stress fractures.
- MRI scan: Magnetic resonance imaging is a special type of imaging that can view the ligaments and muscles and can help detect muscle injury that is found in tennis elbow. It is, however, very expensive and not available for all patients.
- Ultrasound: Although not commonly used in this type of injury, tennis elbow can be diagnosed using ultrasonography. The advantage is that it is widely available and only needs the right expertise to detect muscle injuries. It is also much cheaper and has no adverse effects.
