Taking up tennis and playing regularly when you haven't played for a long time is the sort of overuse that could cause tennis elbow.
But most people who develop tennis elbow have not been playing tennis. A range of different activities that involve repeated hand, wrist and forearm movements can be the cause. These include:
- using a computer mouse (especially if you have poor arm and neck posture)
- using a computer keyboard
- Mothers of young children can develop it by picking up the infants repeatedly
- using vibrating equipment, such as strimmers
- using scissors or shears
- gardening
- manual occupations that involve repetitive twisting and lifting of the wrist - including plumbing, bricklaying and use of a screwdriver
- playing musical instruments such as the violin
