Tennis Elbow: Understanding the Condition and Returning to the Activities You Love

Tennis Elbow: Understanding the Condition and Returning to the Activities You Love

By The InHome Physiotherapy Team

Pain on the outside of your elbow can make everyday activities and your favourite sports more difficult. Whether you enjoy tennis, golf, weight training, gardening, or activities that involve repeated gripping and lifting, elbow pain can affect your ability to do the things you enjoy.

One possible cause is tennis elbow, a condition that affects the tendons around the outside of the elbow. Despite its name, tennis elbow is not limited to tennis players. It can develop in people with a variety of activity levels, occupations, and hobbies.

Understanding what tennis elbow is, what may contribute to it, and which treatment options are available can help you make informed decisions about your recovery. An assessment by a qualified clinician is an important step in identifying the cause of your symptoms and determining an appropriate treatment plan.

What Is Tennis Elbow?

Tennis elbow, medically known as lateral elbow tendinopathy, is a condition involving the tendons that attach the forearm muscles to the outside of the elbow. These muscles help control wrist movement and contribute to gripping, lifting, and other everyday activities.

When the tendons are repeatedly placed under loads they cannot comfortably tolerate, they may become painful. Symptoms can develop gradually over time or appear following a change in activity, such as increasing the intensity of a sport, taking on more repetitive work, or starting a new exercise routine.

Although the condition is often associated with tennis, it can affect anyone whose activities place repeated demands on the forearm and wrist.

What Causes Tennis Elbow?

Tennis elbow is commonly associated with repeated or increased loading of the forearm tendons. However, there is not always one clear cause.

Activities that may contribute include:

• Repeated gripping, lifting, or carrying.
• Frequent wrist movements or twisting motions.
• Playing racquet sports or participating in activities involving repetitive arm movements.
• Using tools or performing repetitive tasks at work.
• A sudden increase in the frequency, duration, or intensity of physical activity.

Tennis elbow does not necessarily mean that the muscles are weak or that the tendons have been permanently damaged. Symptoms can reflect a mismatch between the demands placed on the tendons and their current capacity to tolerate those demands.

Identifying the factors contributing to your symptoms can help guide decisions about activity modification, rehabilitation, and returning to sport.

What Are the Symptoms of Tennis Elbow?

Symptoms can vary from person to person, but common signs include:

• Pain or tenderness around the outside of the elbow.
• Discomfort when gripping objects, lifting items, or turning a handle.
• Pain when moving the wrist or using the forearm against resistance.
• Reduced grip strength or difficulty performing everyday tasks.
• Discomfort during sporting activities or repetitive work.

Some people notice symptoms only during particular activities, while others experience discomfort during routine tasks such as carrying groceries or lifting a cup.

Pain around the elbow can also have other causes, including joint problems, nerve-related conditions, or injuries involving other tissues. Symptoms alone cannot confirm that someone has tennis elbow.

How Is Tennis Elbow Diagnosed?

A clinical assessment can help determine whether your symptoms are consistent with tennis elbow or whether another condition may be responsible.

A physiotherapist or other appropriately qualified clinician may review your medical history, ask about your symptoms and activities, and assess your elbow, wrist, forearm, strength, movement, and functional abilities.

The assessment may also consider factors such as your work demands, sporting goals, previous injuries, and how symptoms affect your daily life.

In many cases, the diagnosis can be made using your history and physical examination. Additional investigations, such as imaging, may be considered when clinically indicated.

An individual assessment is important because the most appropriate treatment depends on the diagnosis, the severity and duration of symptoms, and your personal needs and goals. A clinician can explain the assessment findings, discuss treatment options, and determine whether referral to another health professional is appropriate.

What Treatment Options Are Available for Tennis Elbow?

Treatment aims to help manage symptoms, restore function, and improve your ability to tolerate everyday activities and sport.

There is no single treatment that is appropriate for everyone. Depending on the assessment findings, treatment may involve a combination of the following approaches.

Activity Modification

Temporarily adjusting activities that aggravate symptoms may help reduce excessive strain on the affected tendons while allowing you to remain active where appropriate.

This does not necessarily mean stopping all physical activity. The goal is to find a manageable level of activity and gradually work toward your usual demands.

Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation

Physiotherapy may help people with tennis elbow through education, individualized rehabilitation, and guidance on managing activity levels.

A physiotherapist can develop a treatment plan based on your symptoms, physical findings, daily activities, and return-to-sport goals. Your plan may change over time as your symptoms and functional abilities improve.

Hands-On Treatment and Other Modalities

Depending on your circumstances, a clinician may consider hands-on techniques or other supportive treatments as part of your care.

Treatments such as massage, therapeutic ultrasound, or electrical stimulation may be offered in some settings. However, their benefits can vary, and they should not be presented as guaranteed ways to heal the tendon or speed recovery. The choice of treatment should be guided by clinical assessment and the available evidence.

Cortisone Injections

Corticosteroid, or cortisone, injections may provide short-term pain relief for some people with tennis elbow. However, they are not a permanent solution for everyone, and symptoms may return.

A qualified health professional can discuss the potential benefits, risks, and limitations of injections, as well as other management options, to help you make an informed decision.

Can Kinesiology Tape Help With Tennis Elbow?

Kinesiology tape is a flexible, elastic tape applied to the skin. Unlike rigid athletic tape, it is designed to move with the body.

A clinician may consider kinesiology taping as an additional option for some people experiencing elbow pain. Some individuals may find that it provides temporary symptom relief or helpful sensory feedback during movement.

However, the effects vary, and current evidence does not establish that kinesiology tape reliably repairs tendon tissue, corrects the underlying cause of tennis elbow, or prevents symptoms from returning.

Kinesiology tape should therefore be viewed as a possible addition to an individualized treatment plan, rather than a replacement for appropriate assessment and rehabilitation.

A clinician can help determine whether taping is suitable for your circumstances and explain its potential benefits and limitations.

How Long Does Tennis Elbow Take to Improve?

Recovery varies considerably from person to person. Some people improve over several weeks, while others may experience symptoms for several months or longer.

Factors that may influence recovery include how long symptoms have been present, the demands of your work and sport, other contributing conditions, and how well activities can be adjusted during recovery.

Improvement does not always happen in a straight line. Symptoms may fluctuate as activity levels change, and returning to demanding activities too quickly may aggravate discomfort.

A clinician can help you understand your progress, identify appropriate next steps, and determine when further investigation or a change in treatment may be needed.

If elbow pain persists, worsens, or significantly interferes with everyday activities, seek an assessment rather than assuming that tennis elbow is the cause.

Can You Continue Playing Your Favourite Sport?

Many people with tennis elbow want to remain active while managing their symptoms. Whether you can continue your usual sport depends on your symptoms, the demands of the activity, and the nature of the underlying condition.

In some circumstances, modifying the duration, frequency, or intensity of an activity may help you remain involved while working toward recovery. In other situations, a temporary reduction in certain activities may be appropriate.

A clinician can help you understand which factors may be aggravating your symptoms and develop a plan that considers your individual circumstances and sporting goals.

The aim is not simply to reduce pain temporarily, but to help you make informed decisions about managing symptoms and returning to the activities that matter to you.

How InHome Physiotherapy Can Help

Elbow pain can affect much more than sport. It may interfere with work, hobbies, household tasks, and other everyday activities.

At InHome Physiotherapy, our physiotherapy team can assess your movement and function, discuss your symptoms and goals, and help you understand appropriate rehabilitation options.

An individualized assessment can help determine whether your symptoms may be consistent with tennis elbow, identify factors that may be contributing to your discomfort, and guide the development of a suitable treatment plan. Where appropriate, your physiotherapist can also recommend further medical assessment or referral.

If you are experiencing persistent elbow pain or finding it difficult to participate in the activities you enjoy, consider arranging an assessment to discuss your concerns and available options.