The use of the hands and wrists repetitively on the job is known to cause carpel tunnel syndrome and now tennis elbow should be added as well, a new study says.

Tennis elbow, known medically as lateral epicondylitis, is the most common cause of elbow pain in adults.  Originally known as “writer’s cramp,” the condition was renamed “tennis elbow,” in the late 1800’s after it was found to occur in players of lawn tennis.

This condition has long been suspected as an occupational hazard, but evidence was lacking, according to a French-led research team.  So they reviewed studies published between 2001 and 2014, and found that, although the definition of lateral epicondylitis varied, the description of the pain was very similar, according to MedPage Today.

They found that on-the-job manual tasks that involve repetitive use of the wrist and/or elbow, including extreme bending or twisting, does not only affect the wrist but may result in this type of pain that occurs in the tendons of the forearms as well. 

Among 6,922 workers included in the five studies (3,449 who were followed) 256 cases of the ailment were diagnosed within a 2.5 to 6 year period, and the condition occurred the more often the repetitive task was performed, the study found.

In light of their findings, patients should be advised of the link between the conditions and the possibility of their occupational tasks, and steps taken to prevent such injuries from occurring, the researchers said.