24/07/2025
🎾 Tennis elbow… you don’t need to play tennis to get it!
Tennis elbow, also known as lateral epicondylitis, is an injury to the tendons in the forearm that extend the wrist. It is often caused from overuse or repetitive motions, where the tendon experiences more force than it can handle. Pain is usually felt on the outside of the elbow, but it can also radiate down to the wrist and hand or up to the shoulder.
🧠 So what actually helps? There are many different treatment options, and a recent research study reviewed different techniques to determine what is the most effective. Here’s what they found:
✅ Manual therapy – This includes hands-on techniques like joint mobilizations and massage to improve movement and reduce pain.
✅ Eccentric strengthening exercises – These are special movements where your muscle works as it lengthens (think of lowering your arm after a bicep curl). This type of training helps repair and rebuild irritated tendons and reduce pain and inflammation.
📊 These two approaches were the most effective AND cost-friendly! Plus, they can often be combined with other treatments like:
💥 Shockwave therapy
🎯 Taping (like Kinesio taping)
🩹 Bracing or orthotics
🧊 Ultrasound, TENS, or other pain-relief methods
The takeaway?
💡 Physiotherapy focuses on fixing the root cause of the injury. It is effective at reducing symptoms and preventing the problem from coming back. And best of all—you don’t need surgery to get better! 🙌
Leirós-Rodríguez. R., Landesa-Piñeiro, L. (2022). Physiotherapy treatment of lateral
epicondylitis: A systematic review. Journal of Back and Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation, 35, 463–477. 10.3233/BMR-210053
