Physiotherapy for tennis elbow

Tennis elbow is a common injury due to overuse of your hand joints. It includes any degeneration and inflammation to the tendons on the outside of the elbow.

Dr. Vinay Verma Created on 28th Dec, 20

Do you sometimes feel pain on the outside of the elbow that may extend to the forearm?

Do you sometimes feel stiffness or tightness at the elbow or forearm region?

Is the pain become worse by activity such as opening jars and lifting things?

Is the pain relieved by rest initially or may disappear after some warm-up for exercise?

If you experience these symptoms, you might be suffering from a condition called tennis elbow. You should avail proper treatment for the problem. This article will provide you with an understanding of this condition and some useful treatment techniques.


Let us discuss, what is tennis elbow?



The muscles, which are known as the wrist extensors attached to the elbow, help to bend the wrist back and lift your fingers. It runs from the outside of the elbow joint to the wrist and fingers. You will feel the pain at the attachment of the tendon to the outside of the elbow.

Tennis elbow is again very common in sportspersons. The list includes tennis and badminton players. We can see the development of tennis elbow in persons who require excessive use of their wrists in their jobs such as, painting cooking and plumbing.


Causes of tennis elbow:

Common causes for tennis elbow are

Overuse of the wrist and elbow muscles -

  • It can also be the result of things like carrying suitcases or luggage for long periods.
  • We can also get it from using tools during construction.
  • Even passively, we can experience pain if we sleep with our elbow bent throughout the night now if we wake up in the morning, and we have this pain.
  • When you do backhand in tennis your wrist moves simultaneously, You put a lot of strain through the extensor tendons on your forearm. That's what leads to the irritation and the pain.


Physiotherapy treatment:

Here comes the role of physiotherapy treatment. Physiotherapy treatment aims to reduce pain inflammation and gradually strengthen the wrist extensors.


So that you will be able to return to a pain-free life. The treatment can be done by a variety of physiotherapy techniques such as


Stretching- Tennis elbow limits our movements due to unbearable pain. Just stretch your muscles as far as possible for you. Some of you may not be able to do it when the injury has happened recently. 


Take your time; you can do the stretching once the pain decreases. Expand your arms and fold your hands upwards and downwards. This stretching extends the wrist and improves the scope of movement and permits your ligament to handle heavier burdens easily.

Joint mobilization- This kind of massage technique is beneficial for treating around the wound, which is either a mutual or your spine. It's a viable physiotherapy treatment in easing pain. 


Because it discharges pressure from your delicate nerves or tissues, likewise, it instigates the movement of your body parts while turning on the body's regular painkillers, for example, endorphins. It's beneficial when used in combination with another balancing out medicines. However, it will be best to consult with your nearby physiotherapist first.

Soft tissue massage- Soft tissue massage is a beneficial technique that can release the tension in muscles, tendons, ligaments and other issues. Your flexibility in joint gets improved eventually due to this procedure. It will benefit you in improving blood circulation and muscle spasms.


Hot and cold therapy- It's a widespread and age-old method. However, it is advantageous to diminish your pain. Hot or cold treatment, which one you should opt? 


Well, it depends upon what you need? Constant or repeating pain issue, tight joints, and muscle fits are best treated with heat. Try not to apply heat for over 20 minutes except if trained by your respective medical specialist. Cold treatment should be given to new wounds. It helps to decrease bloodstream and irritation around your wound.


It is usually utilized on wounds and reduces muscle fits. We suggest applying in 15-20-minutes break for the initial 24-72 hours after a physical issue happens. 


While using, do not let the cooling come in direct contact with your skin; however, cover it by a pack or a towel.



Book an Appointment


Phone icon