Tennis Elbow, not better known as lateral epicondylitis, is a condition that effects many professions more than just tennis players (although it does effect 50% of players over the course of their career). Due to repetitive use of the wrist and arm, pain described in many ways and at many sites in the arm can present itself. This may effect those who use their arms heavily at work such as carpenters, plumbers, butchers and of course, athletes. Pain is often experienced at or surrounding the elbow, because the cause is damage to it's supporting tendons.
Pain and weakness are telling signs of Tennis Elbow, making it difficult to do simple tasks such as shaking hands or holding a coffee mug more difficult and painful than should be. Pain seems to develop over time of use, not suddenly. Due to it's coming and going in nature, it's important to look into even if the pain is not currently being suffered.
Diagnosing Tennis Elbow is as easy as taking your pain description into consideration. X-Rays and blood tests can further assist, but are often not employed in the diagnosis. It rarely requires surgery, only effects 1-3% of the population and usually will go away with home treatment.
You are able to care for tennis elbow yourself first, to see if you can ease the pain and heal at home. Recommendation of care is to rest and ice to promote healing and decrease pain suffered. Support products will make daily use more tolerable, such as wearing a compressive sleeve that keeps the elbow warm and keeps it's user aware of proper form. It's also an added benefit that others will be more aware of your condition and not ask too much of you or bump into it. Compression sleeves are known for increasing blood flow and circulation of vital oxygen and nutrients to promote healing.