Have you noticed pain on the outside of your elbow when lifting a kettle, gripping a tool, using a computer mouse or playing sport? You might be experiencing tennis elbow, a common condition that can make everyday activities surprisingly uncomfortable.
Despite its name, you don’t need to play tennis to develop tennis elbow. It can affect anyone, particularly people who regularly use their hands and wrists for gripping, lifting or repetitive movements.
What exactly is tennis elbow?
Tennis elbow, medically known as lateral elbow tendinopathy, affects the tendons that attach the forearm muscles to the bony prominence on the outside of your elbow. These muscles help extend your wrist and fingers and stabilise your wrist when gripping objects.
Tennis elbow develops when the tendon struggles to cope with the demands placed on it. Rather than being simply an inflammatory condition, it involves changes in the tendon structure and its ability to tolerate load.
Common symptoms include pain when gripping, lifting objects with your palm facing down, shaking hands or twisting a door handle. Some people also notice reduced grip strength or tenderness over the outside of the elbow.
How can physiotherapy help?
Physiotherapy aims to decrease inflammation, reduce pain, restore strength and help you return to your usual activities.
Your physiotherapist may recommend:
- Hands-on treatment: Manual therapy techniques and dry needling may provide short-term pain relief and help you exercise more comfortably.
- Activity modification: Identifying activities that aggravate your elbow and adjusting how you perform them without unnecessarily stopping activity.
- Progressive strengthening: Gradually improving the capacity of your forearm muscles and tendons to tolerate everyday loads.
- Ergonomic advice: Adjusting workstations, lifting techniques or sporting equipment to reduce unnecessary strain.
- A return-to-activity plan: Gradually increasing your activities as your strength and symptoms improve.
Exercise: The Key to Long-Term Recovery
One of the most important parts of treating tennis elbow is gradually rebuilding the strength and resilience of the affected tendon. Tendons respond well to exercise, but they need to be loaded at the right level and given time to adapt.
- Rehabilitation usually begins with gentle strengthening exercises that place a manageable amount of stress on the tendon.
- As symptoms improve, the exercises are gradually progressed by increasing resistance, repetitions or the difficulty of movements.
- This process, called progressive tendon loading, helps the tendon become stronger and better able to tolerate everyday activities.
Getting the progression right is important. Too much too soon can aggravate symptoms, while too little may not stimulate improvement. Some mild discomfort during exercise is acceptable, provided symptoms remain manageable and settle afterwards.
Your physiotherapist can guide this progression, helping you not only reduce pain but also build a stronger, more resilient tendon for work, sport and everyday life.
How long does recovery take?
Tennis elbow can be frustrating because tendons often take time to adapt. Many people improve gradually over several months, although recovery varies depending on the severity of symptoms, activity demands and individual circumstances.
The good news is that most people improve without surgery, particularly with appropriate exercise, activity management and patience.
If elbow pain is affecting your work, sport or daily activities, a physiotherapist at Core Physiotherapy & Pilates Studio can assess your condition and develop a personalised rehabilitation program to help you get back to doing the things you enjoy.
