Nerve Related Elbow Pain

The term 'tennis elbow' is commonly used to describe any pain that is felt over the outer aspect of the elbow; it was first described in people who played a lot of tennis. 

Pain over the outer aspect of the elbow may arise from the extensor muscles; the anchor point of the extensor muscles to the bone; from the joint between the radius bone and humerus bone; it may be referred from the neck and it may also arise from the radial nerve as it passes the outer aspect of the elbow. 

Assessment should determine which of the structures is most likely to be the main cause of the pain; sometimes more than one structure may be contributing to the pain. If the pain is arising from the nerve then the treatment is different to treatment for a muscle pain. 

The Radial Nerve as it passes the elbow

This picture shows the radial nerve passing the outer aspect of the elbow. The radial nerve can be differentially loaded using the nerve loading tests. 

Wearing the R&M Brace reduces the load on the nerve and allows the 'irritability' of the nerve to settle down. 

---