Tennis elbow is a common overuse injury that can cause pain around the outer elbow, reduced grip strength and difficulty with everyday tasks. This article explains what tennis elbow is, why it develops and how sports injury physiotherapy may support recovery through assessment, exercise-based rehabilitation and a gradual return to activity. It also looks at how hand therapy and a coordinated allied health team at Health on High in Coffs Harbour can work together throughout recovery.
Despite its name, tennis elbow affects far more people than tennis players. It is a common overuse injury of the tendons on the outer side of the elbow, and it can cause pain, weakness and frustration during everyday activities such as gripping, lifting or typing. Many people first notice it during sport, at work or after a period of repetitive arm movement, and often wonder whether sports injury physiotherapy can help.
The encouraging news is that tennis elbow often settles with the right guidance and time, and sports injury physiotherapy is one approach that may help support recovery. This article explains what tennis elbow is, who tends to develop it, and how a structured, individualised plan may help you manage symptoms and return to the activities you enjoy. At Health on High, this care builds on more than three decades of upper limb experience, beginning when physiotherapist Faye Wiffen established Coffs Physiotherapy & Backcare in Coffs Harbour in 1994.
What Is Tennis Elbow?
Understanding Tennis Elbow and Lateral Epicondylitis
Tennis elbow, also known as lateral epicondylitis, is an overuse injury affecting the tendons that attach to the bony point on the outer side of the elbow. These tendons connect to the muscles that straighten the wrist and fingers, so they are placed under load during many gripping and lifting tasks. Over time, repeated strain can irritate the tendon and lead to pain and reduced function.
How Tennis Elbow Develops
Tennis elbow usually develops gradually rather than from a single event. It is often linked to repetitive or forceful movements of the wrist, forearm and hand, particularly activities that involve gripping, twisting or lifting. Common contributors include:
- Sporting activities, such as racquet sports, that involve repeated wrist and forearm movement.
- Occupational tasks, including work with tools, keyboards or repetitive manual handling.
- Everyday activities, such as gardening, carrying shopping or repeated lifting.
Common Symptoms of Tennis Elbow
Symptoms vary from person to person, but people often describe:
- Pain or tenderness around the outer elbow, which may spread into the forearm
- Reduced grip strength, or discomfort when gripping and lifting
- Pain during activities such as shaking hands, turning a key or holding a cup
- Symptoms that build gradually and may linger for weeks or months
Who Is Most at Risk of Tennis Elbow?
Tennis elbow can affect anyone who places repeated load on the forearm tendons, not only athletes. People who may be more likely to experience it include:
- Racquet sport players, whose sports involve repeated wrist and forearm movement.
- Golfers and throwing athletes, whose technique repeatedly loads the arm.
- Gym and strength training participants, particularly with heavy or repeated gripping.
- Tradespeople and manual workers, who regularly use tools and repetitive manual handling.
- People with repetitive arm or wrist movements at work or at home.
Understanding your individual risk factors is an important part of both recovery and reducing the chance of symptoms returning.
Why Early Assessment Is Important for Tennis Elbow
Elbow pain can have several different causes, so a thorough assessment helps identify what is actually driving your symptoms.
A physiotherapist can consider how your symptoms developed, the demands of your sport or work, and whether other structures may be involved, before developing an individualised plan. Assessment also helps rule out other elbow conditions and supports a safe, structured return to activity. Seeking advice early can make recovery more straightforward, particularly if symptoms are affecting your daily life.
How Sports Injury Physiotherapy Supports Tennis Elbow Recovery
Sports injury physiotherapy focuses on active rehabilitation rather than rest alone. Although often associated with physiotherapy for athletes, the same principles apply to anyone with an overuse injury like tennis elbow. Depending on your situation, tennis elbow rehabilitation may aim to:
Assess Pain, Function and Movement
An initial assessment looks at how your elbow, wrist and forearm move, how your symptoms behave and which activities aggravate them, so your plan can be built around your goals.
Support Pain Management Strategies
Early care often focuses on settling symptoms and adjusting the activities that aggravate the tendon, so you can move more comfortably while rehabilitation gets underway.
Improve Strength and Load Tolerance
Progressive, load-based exercise is widely recognised as a cornerstone of tennis elbow rehabilitation. Strengthening for the wrist and forearm, and sometimes the shoulder and shoulder blade, is introduced gradually and adjusted as the tendon responds.
Restore Confidence and Return to Activity
As strength and comfort improve, rehabilitation gradually reintroduces the movements and loads involved in your sport, work or hobbies, with the aim of supporting a confident return to activity.
Key Components of Tennis Elbow Rehabilitation
While every plan is individual, tennis elbow treatment through physiotherapy often includes:
- Exercise-based rehabilitation, including progressive strengthening for the forearm and wrist to build the tendon’s load capacity over time.
- Mobility and flexibility work, to help maintain movement in the elbow, wrist and forearm.
- Functional rehabilitation, preparing for the specific demands of sport, work and everyday tasks.
- Education and self-management, including activity modification and guidance on managing training and workloads.
How Hand Therapy Can Complement Tennis Elbow Rehabilitation
Because the hand, wrist and elbow work closely together, some people benefit from input from a hand therapist as part of their recovery. Health on High is home to Coffs Harbour Shoulder & Hand Therapy, a service dedicated to the assessment, treatment and rehabilitation of upper limb conditions from the hand and wrist through to the elbow and shoulder.
The team includes two Accredited Hand Therapists, as awarded by the Australian Hand Therapy Association, one of whom is the only internationally Certified Hand Therapist (USA) on the Mid North Coast and a member of the Shoulder and Elbow Physiotherapists of Australasia. Together they bring more than 20,000 hours of direct upper limb treatment experience.
For complex or persistent upper limb symptoms, this focused experience can complement a sports injury rehabilitation program through tailored strengthening, splinting where appropriate, and detailed upper limb rehabilitation.
The Benefits of a Collaborative Allied Health Approach
Recovering from tennis elbow sometimes benefits from more than one type of support. At Health on High, physiotherapy sits alongside Coffs Harbour Shoulder & Hand Therapy and exercise physiology within one allied health hub.
Working independently but as part of the multidisciplinary Health on High group allows these experienced Allied Health Professionals to streamline referrals and communication, and to offer joint assessments across therapies for your convenience and benefit. This means your clinicians can align on goals, share progress and make internal referrals easily, helping keep your care consistent from your first appointment onwards.
Health on High’s Longstanding Commitment to Upper Limb Care
Health on High has supported the Coffs Harbour community since 1994, when Faye Wiffen founded the practice as Coffs Physiotherapy & Backcare. Over the years, the clinic developed a strong focus on upper limb and shoulder care, which contributed to the growth of its allied health hub and the addition of Coffs Harbour Shoulder & Hand Therapy. Today, generations of local families continue to choose Health on High for physiotherapy, hand therapy and exercise physiology, delivered from a purpose-built clinic in Coffs Harbour.
Reducing the Risk of Tennis Elbow Recurrence
Tennis elbow can return, particularly if the tendon is loaded too quickly. Strategies that may help reduce the risk of recurrence include:
- Gradually increasing activity and training loads rather than making sudden changes
- Improving technique and movement efficiency in sport and at work
- Maintaining forearm, wrist and upper limb strength and conditioning
- Managing training and work demands, with rest and recovery built in
- Seeking advice early if symptoms begin to return
When Should You Seek Professional Advice for Elbow Pain?
It can be hard to know whether elbow pain will settle on its own or needs attention. It is worth speaking with a physiotherapist or doctor if you notice:
- Elbow pain that lingers or worsens rather than easing
- Ongoing pain during sport, work or exercise
- Difficulty gripping or lifting everyday objects
- Symptoms that are not improving over time
Recovery from tennis elbow can be gradual, sometimes taking several months, so getting advice sooner rather than later can help you understand your options and plan your next steps.
This article was written by the Coffs Harbour Shoulder & Hand Therapy team at Health on High, based in Coffs Harbour, New South Wales. It is intended as general information only and is not a substitute for personalised advice from a qualified health practitioner. If you are concerned about elbow pain, please speak with your physiotherapist or doctor.
Disclaimer: This article is general information only and is not a substitute for personalised medical advice. Tennis elbow affects each person differently. Always consult a qualified health practitioner before starting or changing an exercise or rehabilitation program.
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