It’s not Tennis Elbow! …..even if you play tennis.

If you have diagnosed as having “tennis elbow” but the treatment doesn’t seems  to be helping, you might just have Radial Tunnel Syndrome or RTS instead. They both have similar pain symptoms (but not quite the same) in the same general area of the elbow.

In the case of tennis elbow, it is a case of tendinitis or tendinopathy but the tendon of the forearm muscles is irritated and inflamed or degenerated. (See tennis elbow)

But the RTS, it is the case of the radial nerve being entrapped. If you have heard of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) where the nerves in your wrist are pinched causing tingling sensations in your fingers and pain when typing on the keyboard, RTS is the close cousin-sister.

The radial nerve is a nerve the starts from the lower neck area of your spine and travels through your upper arm to your hands and wrists.

In the case of the elbow pain, the nerve is commonly believed to be entrapped or impinged in the “Arcade of Frohse”. The Arcade of Frohse, sometimes called the supinator arch, is the the part closest to the elbow of the topmost layer of the supinator muscle. The supinator muscles is the one that contracts to rotate your palms to face up or away from your body.

Which is which now?

Experiencing elbow or wrist pain? Click here to find out more about physiotherapy for elbow or wrist pain relief and how Core Concepts can help