08/18/2025
Sometimes the therapist needs a therapist.
I have been struggling with lateral epicondylitis, (tennis elbow) in my dominant arm for a few months now. I have mostly been treating it myself and with the help of one of the CHTs that works for me, but also with input from some respected therapists who are also my friends. Ylisa Gabay Young and teachings from Alison Taylor, primarily.
It is not all better, but it is getting there with a combination of several different interventions.
Taping, massage, fascial gliding, pain free strengthening, therabar exercises, use of wrist splint at times and lots and lots of activity modification.
For example, with tennis elbow, everything needs to be picked up in a palm up position. Even lifting my phone off of the table, palm down, causes pain when it is in an aggravated state.
One thing I have discovered through this process is that one of the best interventions we sometimes overlook as therapists is REST. No matter how much therapy we receive, if we continue doing activities that aggravate the condition it just doesn’t get better.
One of the most important things to remember when recovering from any injury is to carefully analyze what you are doing in your life that causes or re-creates your pain….and FULL STOP that activity until the pain reduces. When you are ready to resume the activity, it has to be done slowly, intentionally, and methodically with very specific intent.
If you’re having pain or difficulty with your upper extremity, come see us. We specialize in upper extremity injuries! Why see a generalist when you can see a specialist? 💪🏼
