Tennis Elbow: What It Actually Is (And Why You Don’t Need a Racket to Get It)

You've heard the term. You might have even said it yourself – ‘ooh, sounds like tennis elbow’ - while rubbing your forearm after a long day. But what's actually going on in there? And why on earth is it called tennis elbow when most people who get it haven't been near a tennis court in years? 

 

Let’s have a proper look. 

Tennis elbow is pain or tenderness on the outside of your forearm, just below the elbow. It's an overuse injury - the kind that sneaks up on you gradually rather than arriving with a dramatic snap or bang. Repetitive movements that involve gripping or twisting are usually to blame. Over time, those repeated actions put too much demand on the forearm muscles, the tendon gets inflamed and that's when things start to get uncomfortable. 

This one’s not complicated: it’s because tennis players - with all that gripping and swinging - are prime candidates for it. BUT players are a small fraction of the people we see with the condition. Anyone else working with their hands and arms are also at risk of developing tennis elbow: office workers, gardeners, plumbers, carpenters, mechanics - we see them all. We've even had a pianist come in with it. If your hands and forearms are doing repeated, effortful workday in day out, sooner or later the tendons tend to have a word with you about it. 

Any repetitive gripping or twisting activity, really. The usual suspects are: 

 

 

The common thread is repetition. It's rarely one big moment, it's the accumulation of the same movement, over and over, until the body says enough. 

The pain typically sits on the outer side of your forearm just below the elbow and can travel down toward the wrist. What catches people off guard is how much it interferes with ordinary, everyday things, movements you'd never normally think about: 

 

 

It can range from a mild, background ache to something quite sharp and limiting, depending on how long it's been going on and whether you've been able to rest from whatever triggered it. 

We'd typically work with a combination of sports massage, taping, exercises and - where possible - some rest from the aggravating activity. We know that's not always an option, especially if work is the cause. In those cases, the massage becomes even more important, helping the muscles release that built-up chronic tension so the tendon has a chance to calm down. 

 

Something we've had real success with is our 3 Treatment Rule: three sessions close together - ideally weekly or less - alongside a home exercise programme. The idea is that regular, frequent sessions keep teaching the muscles to relax before they have the chance to ping back into their old habits. It works. 

There are some gentle exercises that can really help in the early stages, and we're happy to guide you through those. That said, if the pain has been lingering for a while or it's already quite intense, please do come and see one of our therapists rather than hoping it'll sort itself out. The sooner you get on top of it, the quicker the recovery. 

 

And if it feels manageable right now - don't wait. A little early attention almost always saves a lot of bother later on. 

 

Sound familiar? Come and have a chat. We've seen it many times before, and we'd genuinely love to help.