What are the warning signs of tennis elbow?

I have had tennis elbow before and it hurt! Since I don't play too much tennis, I had the most pain when playing ice hockey. On the other side of tennis elbow, I have treated dozens of people suffering from tennis elbow with very good results. 

Some warning signs of tennis elbow include;

-Pain with squeezing or grasping (like when shaking hands or brushing teeth).
-Pain slowly increasing around the outside of the elbow.
-Pain is made worse by stabilizing or moving the wrist with force (like when using tools, opening a jar or using a tennis racquet or hockey stick).
-Pain radiating down the forearm.

If you have any of these symptoms you should take a break from any of the activities that aggravate your elbow. Ice can help to decease the pain and inflammation. A bag of peas works in a pinch but a bag of ice with a thin towel in between the skin and ice will be stronger. Keep the ice on for 15-20 minutes, take it off for 20-30 minutes and repeat this cycle 1-2 times. Massage therapy, acupuncture, stretching and strengthening exercises can help to improve tennis elbow. 

I often see tennis elbow stemming from a rounded shoulder, poor posture or poor technical skill. See your physician or licensed healthcare professional if pain persists.