jospt perspectives for patients

Tennis Elbow: What Is It? How Do I Get

Back to My Regular Activities?
J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2023;53(4):235. doi:10.2519/jospt.2023.0504

T
ennis elbow, also known as lateral elbow tendinopathy,
refers to pain around the bony bump on the outside of
the elbow. This type of elbow pain usually occurs after
repetitive movements that involve the wrist, forearm,
and elbow, such as in carpentry, painting, or swinging a
racquet. If you have to bend and twist your wrist and forearm a lot,
Downloaded from www.jospt.org at on April 12, 2023. For personal use only. No other uses without permission.
To help diagnose tennis elbow, your physical therapist might
ask you about the type of work, sport, and recreation activities
you do, and test how strong your forearm muscles, wrist, and
fingers are (B).
How long will my elbow problem take to recover? Tennis
elbow often gets better on its own. Some people experience a short

you might eventually feel pain in your outer elbow and forearm.
How do I know if I have tennis elbow? Most people with tennis
elbow feel pain on the outside of their elbow and upper forearm, where
the forearm muscles connect to the bony part of the elbow (A). The
pain may be gradual and usually gets worse with bending your elbow
Copyright © 2023 Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy®. All rights reserved.
bout of pain in their elbow and forearm and never have it again.
For others, the pain might linger, or they might have periods where
the pain gets better and then flares up again. In addition, for about
1 in 5 people, pain may last for 3 to 5 years. The good news is that
physical therapy can help to reduce elbow and forearm pain and

or lifting, gripping objects, turning a door handle, or opening a jar. help you get back to work, sport, and your regular activities.
Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy®

(A) Tennis elbow typically starts as pain on the outside of the elbow and upper forearm, where the forearm muscles join the elbow bone. (B) Physical therapists might use
a test called Maudsley’s test, where they press on the outside of the elbow while asking the person with elbow pain to resist pressure on the middle finger. (C) An exercise
program that includes strengthening the forearm and the wrist is an important part of recovering from tennis elbow and getting back to work, sport, and daily activities.

WHAT THE GUIDELINES MEAN FOR MANAGING YOUR ELBOW PAIN

Physical therapy rehabilitation will usu- your neck and upper back, if you find clude exercises where you slowly raise
ally start with reducing the pain in your that helps improve stiffness and pain. and lower your hand and wrist. As your
elbow and then improving how it moves. Your physical therapist might also rec- strength improves, you can begin to
Once the symptoms have settled and your ommend other therapies, such as dry hold weights in your hand while exercis-
elbow is moving more freely, the focus needling, which they will discuss with ing (C). A slow and steady progression
will shift to building up your hand, fore- you in more depth. will help prepare your body to return
arm, arm and shoulder muscle strength. Strengthening the muscles in your to doing your work, sport, and daily
Your physical therapist might help forearm is also an important part of activities.
you stretch and move your elbow, and rehabilitation. Strengthening can in-
This JOSPT Perspectives for Patients is based on clinical practice guidelines by Lucado et al: “Lateral Elbow Pain and Muscle Function Impairments” (J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2022;52:​
770-836. https://doi.org/10.2519/jospt.2022.0302). This JOSPT Perspectives for Patients article was produced by Patient and Public Partnerships Editor Joletta Belton and a team of JOSPT’s
editorial board and staff, led by Editor-In-Chief Clare Ardern, and illustrated by Jeanne Robertson. For this and more topics, visit JOSPT Perspectives for Patients online at www.jospt.org.

JOSPT PERSPECTIVES FOR PATIENTS is a public service of the Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy®. The information and recommendations contained
here are a summary of the referenced research article and are not a substitute for seeking proper health care to diagnose and treat this condition. For more information
on the management of this condition, contact your physical therapist or other health care provider specializing in musculoskeletal disorders. JOSPT Perspectives for
Patients may be photocopied noncommercially by physical therapists and other health care providers to share with patients. The official journal of the Academy of
Orthopaedic Physical Therapy and American Academy of Sports Physical Therapy of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) and a recognized journal of
more than 35 international partners, JOSPT strives to offer high-quality research, immediately applicable clinical material, and useful supplemental information on
musculoskeletal and sports-related health, injury, and rehabilitation. Copyright ©2023 JOSPT®, Inc

journal of orthopaedic & sports physical therapy  |  volume 53 | number 4 | april 2023 | 235