Tennis Elbow – Symptoms, Treatment, and Recovery
If you’ve had a persistent ache on the outside of your elbow that won’t go away, you may have tennis elbow, or lateral epicondylitis. Despite its name, you don’t need to play tennis in order to develop it. In fact, this painful and often maddening condition can afflict numerous people employed in occupations involving repetitive motion with their arms, such as plumbers, painters, carpenters and even office workers.
Tennis elbow is a condition caused by overuse of the tendons that attach to the bony outer part of the elbow. When these tendons are overused, tiny tears can form, which can cause pain and inflammation. This blog will take a closer look at not only the symptoms and what treatment is available for tennis elbow, but exercises that are effective and how to recover from tennis elbow so that you can get straight back onto court as quickly as possible.
What is Tennis Elbow?
Tennis elbow is an overuse injury that affects the common extensor tendons of the forearm that attach to the outside of the elbow, or lateral epicondyle. These tendons are used to extend your wrist and fingers. When they’re overworked repeatedly — whether swinging a racquet, turning a screwdriver or typing all day — they can become inflamed, causing pain and weakening grip strength.
Although most commonly linked to racquet sports, tennis elbow can occur in anyone, and particularly in people aged 30 to 50. It’s often caused by everyday tasks involving repetitive wrist and arm movements. The NHS page on tennis elbow also has more clinical information to offer.
Tennis Elbow Symptoms
By identifying the warning signs of tennis elbow early on, it can be prevented from developing further. The most prevalent symptoms are as follows:
- Outer elbow pain and tenderness, possibly down the forearm.
- Weak grip strength, particularly when gripping items, such as a mug or a tool.
- Pain or discomfort worsening with certain actions (overhead, gripping, twisting, opening a jar).
- Radiating pain, travelling from the elbow to the wrist.
These symptoms tend to develop slowly and can get worse as time passes. Simple acts like shaking hands, turning a doorknob or just lifting a kettle can be painfully apparent.
What Causes Tennis Elbow?
Tennis elbow is primarily due to a strain and overuse of the forearm muscles, which cause microscopic tears in the tendon close to the elbow. Common causes include:
- Strained wrist and arm motions—found among tennis players, manual labourers, and desk workers.
- Occupational strain such as from painting, typing, plumbing or any job that requires you to grip things continuously.
- Degeneration due to age—more common among those aged 30–50 (natural wear and tear on the tendon).
Bad form in sports or incorrect ergonomics at work can jeopardise this further. So, whether it’s hitting forehands or hammering nails, if your form isn’t right, the stress accumulates.
Tennis Elbow Treatment Options
Most cases of tennis elbow respond well to conservative treatment; however, the good news is that they are not permanent. Here are some of the best ones:
- Rest and activity modification: Limit or stop doing activities that make your symptoms worse.
- For pain relief: Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen can be effective in reducing both pain and inflammation.
- Tennis elbow straps or splints: These relieve pressure on the tendons, especially when physically active.
- Physical therapy: To develop your forearm muscles and increase flexibility, a physiotherapist can help you with targeted exercises.
- Kinesthetic taping: This method can help support muscles and relieve strain when changing position.
If symptoms last longer than a few months, further treatments may be an option, including:
- Corticosteroid injections: Through the reduction of inflammation, they may offer temporary pain relief.
- Shockwave therapy: A non-invasive alternative to surgery, shockwaves stimulate the tendon using acoustic waves.
- Surgery: A last resort after other remedies have been ineffective, in which the damaged area of the tendon is removed to encourage healing.
At Chase Lodge Hospital, no two treatment plans are ever the same, and specialist consultants take your lifestyle and recovery goals into consideration.
Tennis Elbow Exercises for Recovery
An organised workout regimen is necessary for a full recovery. These are some tennis elbow exercises, which will promote strength and function restoration:
- Wrist stretches:
- Flexor stretch: Pull back on the fingers of your outstretched hand, palm facing up.
- Extensor stretch: Palm down, a similar stretch to get the outer forearm.
- Wrist extensions: Take a light dumbbell and lower your wrist slowly from an extended position—excellent for developing tendon resilience.
- Grip strengthening: Squeeze a soft stress ball or rolled towel for a few seconds at a stretch.
- Forearm pronation/supination: Use a light weight (such as a hammer) and rotate your forearm from palm up to palm down.
You can start with low resistance and increase it as you become stronger. Always stop if the pain increases.
How to Heal Tennis Elbow Fast
Although healing takes time, a few actions may speed up the process:
- Consider using a tennis elbow strap to help offload pressure when doing your daily tasks.
- Ice packs on the area for 15–20 minutes, a few times daily, particularly after activity.
- Follow a rigid treatment regimen, including rest and rehabilitation exercises.
- Make ergonomic changes to your work or sport to prevent repetitive strain.
Full recovery may take 6 weeks to 6 months depending on the severity of the condition as well as how well you stick to the treatment plan.
Tennis Elbow Surgery and Recovery Time
Surgery is typically only advised when non-surgical treatments have been tried and then have failed to unstick the bowel over a period of 6 to 12 months.
The Steps of a Tennis Elbow Surgery Procedure:
- Removing the ruptured portion of the tendon.
- Restoring healthy tissue to the bone.
The recovery period after surgery is typically four to six months but differs in each patient. Rehabilitation through physiotherapy will be a key factor in recovering strength and preventing relapse.
What’s the Cure for Tennis Elbow?
Most people with tennis elbow heal completely without surgery, especially if they follow a sound regimen of rest, rehabilitation and ergonomic changes. However, in prolonged cases, surgery may be the only course to follow.
Prevention in the form of proper techniques being integrated into sport and work, as well as maintaining adequate forearm strength in regular training, are key.
Conclusion
With the correct understanding and plan of attack, tennis elbow can be a troublesome and painful problem that is fully recoverable. By identifying the symptoms early, adjusting our daily activities, and adhering to a structured rehab programme, there are several ways to help manage and overcome this condition.
If you are experiencing chronic elbow pain, do not wait any longer and contact a specialist at Chase Lodge Hospital today to help get you on your way to recovery.
