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Tennis elbow, although primarily associated with athletes, also affects people who spend long hours at a computer, including IT professionals. Repetitive mouse movements, unergonomic workstations, and a lack of breaks lead to overload of the forearm muscles and tendons, resulting in pain and weakened grip strength. Regular exercise, proper work ergonomics, and adequate breaks are key to preventing this condition. If you experience pain, don't wait—a quick response is key to a faster recovery!
Summary
Workplace ergonomics are key to preventing injuries like tennis elbow, especially in professions that require prolonged sitting at a desk, working with a computer, or performing repetitive manual tasks.
- Correct body posture– Proper posture is a fundamental element of ergonomics.Maintaining a neutral body position, with a straight back and natural wrist position,prevents excessive muscle and joint tension.
- Workstation adaptation– The monitor, keyboard, and mouse should be set at the appropriate height to prevent excessive bending of the wrists and elbows. The desk and chair must be adjusted to the individual user's needs, enabling comfortable work for long hours.
- Regular breaks and changes of position– Working in one position for long periods increases the risk of strain. It's important to take breaks, stretch, and change positions every 30-60 minutes to avoid excessive joint stress.
- Use of supporting tools– It is worth using accessories such as wrist rests,orthopedic pillows, as well as special mice and keyboards that support the natural body position and minimize the risk of injuries.
Workplace ergonomics, taking into account the appropriate positioning of the work station and conscious attention to body posture, significantly contributes to the prevention of diseases such as tennis elbow, improving work comfort and efficiency.
Ergonomics at Work – The Key to a Healthy Elbow at the Computer
Technique of performed activities:
- -Correct work technique and physical activity: Avoiding excessive strain on the elbow by using proper technique while working and exercising is key to prevention.
Implementing the above recommendations, based on current research, can significantly reduce the risk of tennis elbow and other overuse-related conditions.
- inversions and extensions with dumbbells
Sample exercises:
- wrist extension
Overload prevention:
Preventive exercises:
- Strengthening the forearm muscles: Regular exercises to strengthen the forearmextensor muscles can prevent strain.
- Stretching: Stretching exercises for the forearm muscles help maintain their flexibilityand reduce the risk of injury.
Treatment:
- Physiotherapy:
- Eccentric exercises:Research shows the effectiveness of eccentric exercises in reducing pain and improving elbow function.
- Manual therapy:Techniques such as transverse massage and joint mobilization help relieve strain on overloaded structures and support the healing process.
- Physical therapies:
- Shockwave (ESWT):The therapy may accelerate the healing of damaged tendons in tennis elbow by increasing blood supply, reducing inflammation, and improving cellular metabolism at the site of injury.
- Injections:
- Corticosteroids:When used in the short term, they may provide pain relief, but long-term use can lead to tissue weakening.
- Platelet-rich plasma (PRP): PRP injections can support regenerative processes intendon tissues.
Treatment and prevention – How to relieve painand prevent overload?
The following methods are used to diagnose tennis elbow:
- Interview – analysis of symptoms, work style and injury history.
- Physical examination– assessment of pain and mobility of the elbow joint.
- Functional tests– to confirm the disease, the Cozen test, Mill test, and the Chair test are performed.
- Imaging tests– Ultrasound or magnetic resonance imaging in case of chronic ailments.
Diagnosis – Methods of diagnosing elbow pain
Symptoms – How to recognize tennis elbow inoffice workers?
Causes – How does working at a computeraffect elbow health?
Initially, symptoms may seem minor, but over time they become more severe and interfere with daily activities. Common symptoms of tennis elbow include:
- Pain on the outside of the elbow, appears when moving the wrist and grasping objects.
- - Weakened grip strength, difficulty lifting objects.
- - Pain radiating to the forearm and wrist.
- - Increased sensitivity to touch around the elbow.
- - Stiffness and limited mobility after prolonged work.
If you experience these symptoms, it is worth it take action as soon as possible to avoid chronic pain and more serious complications - the faster you react, the shorter the treatment will be!
The main factors contributing to the development of tennis elbow in an office worker are:
- Long-term use of the mouse– constant isometric tension of the wrist extensor muscles causes overload of the tendons of these muscles.
- Incorrect ergonomics of the workstation– improperly positioned keyboard and lack of wrist support.
- No breaks– muscles need rest, and long hours of tension lead to overload.
- Repetitive hand movements– thousands of clicks and scrolling throughout the day = micro-injuries.
- Stress and muscle tension– chronic stress causes increased muscle tension, which can aggravate the problem. Can this be avoided? Not! Proper ergonomics, regular breaks, and exercise can effectively prevent strain. But if you're already experiencing pain, don't ignore it—the sooner you act, the better.
Tennis elbow it's inflammation tendons of the wrist extensor muscles that stick to lateral epicondyle of the humerus. This condition is the result of overload and repeated micro-injuries, leading to the degeneration of collagen fibers. As a result,pain, weakened grip strength and difficulties in daily activities.
What is tennis/IT elbow?
source: J. Hochschild, Functional anatomy for physiotherapists, MedPharm Publishing House, Wrocław 2018, p. 185
In the case of IT specialists, instead of intense racket movements, the problem is many hours mouse and keyboard operation. Repetitive movements, static muscle tension, and poor workstation ergonomics lead to tendon overload and inflammation.
➡️ What for a tennis player is the result of intense training, for a computer scientist is the result of many hours of work in unergonomic conditions.
Elbow pain at the computer - tennis elbow in IT specialists: symptoms, treatment, exercises
It might seem that sports injuries only affect physically active people. However, doctors are increasingly diagnosing office workers with injuries typical of athletes. One of these is tennis elbow- painful overload of the muscles and tendons of the forearm.This condition, primarily associated with tennis players, is increasingly common in people who have never held a racket. Long hours spent at the keyboard, repetitive mouse movements, and a lack of proper work ergonomics are to blame. Where does this problem come from, how can you recognize it, and—most importantly—how can you prevent it? Let's find out!
Why does tennis elbow also affect IT professionals?