Epicondylitis

Epicondylitis is a form of musculoskeletal disorder that refers to an inflammation in the lateral or medial epicondyle. In some variations, it is also known as tennis elbow, golfer’s elbow or mouse arm.

Tennis elbow is caused by inflammation in the elbow and forearm, resulting in pain and soreness. The pain originates in the bone in the outer part of the elbow (lateral epicondyle) where the muscles that bend the hand backwards and stretch the fingers are attached. It is most often caused by repetitive stress and overuse at the muscle-tendon junction, forceful, repetitive, or akward motions, such as swinging a tennis racket.

Golfer’s elbow is caused by inflammation in the flexor forearm muscles. The pain originates in the bone in the inner part of the elbow (medial epicondyle) where the muscles that bend the hand down and bend the fingers are attached. Golf players often get this condition, thus the name.

These conditions can all be treated with laser therapy. You would typically perform frequent treatments in the first few days, with a low output power because the tendons are close to the skin (not very deep). Most often, you would want to treat both the tender points and trigger points.