Tennis Elbow/Lateral Epicondylalgia in Mona Vale
Tennis elbow is a common cause of pain on the outside of the elbow and can affect gripping, lifting, gym training, work and sport. At Helix Recovery, we assess the factors contributing to your symptoms and develop a progressive treatment and rehabilitation plan to rebuild strength and tendon capacity.
What is Tennis Elbow?
Tennis elbow, also known as lateral epicondylalgia, involves pain and sensitivity around the tendons that attach the forearm muscles to the outside of the elbow.
Symptoms often develop following an increase or change in repetitive gripping, lifting, racquet sports, manual work or gym training. Despite the name, you don't need to play tennis to develop tennis elbow.
Common Symptoms
Pain on the outside of the elbow
Tenderness around the outer elbow
Pain with gripping or carrying
Pain when lifting objects
Pain with wrist or hand movements
Reduced grip strength
Pain during gym training or racquet sports
Symptoms aggravated by repetitive work or activity
How We Assess Tennis Elbow
Several structures around the elbow can produce similar symptoms, so assessment is important to determine whether the common extensor tendon is likely to be the primary source of your pain.
Assessment may include palpation, resisted wrist and finger movements, grip strength, elbow and wrist movement and functional activities that reproduce your symptoms. The neck and nerves of the upper limb may also be assessed where appropriate.
The aim is to identify the likely source of your symptoms, determine how much load the tendon currently tolerates and identify factors that can be addressed through treatment and progressive rehabilitation.
How We Treat Tennis Elbow
Treatment depends on how long symptoms have been present, their severity and the activities you want to return to.
Treatment may include:
Osteopathic manual therapy
Shockwave therapy
Progressive exercise rehabilitation
Forearm and grip strengthening
Activity and load modification
Gradual return to work, gym or sport
Shockwave Therapy for Tennis Elbow
Shockwave therapy may be recommended for persistent tennis elbow, particularly when symptoms have been present for several months or progress has plateaued despite appropriate rehabilitation.
Current evidence suggests shockwave therapy may help reduce pain and improve function when combined with a structured loading program. It is not a standalone treatment but can be a useful addition to a comprehensive rehabilitation plan.
Common Questions
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Some cases improve over time, but persistent symptoms can last for several months or longer. Appropriate load management and progressive strengthening can help restore the tendon’s capacity and improve function.
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Complete rest is usually unnecessary. Temporarily modifying activities that significantly aggravate symptoms can help, while maintaining an appropriate level of movement and gradually rebuilding tendon load tolerance.
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Shockwave therapy may help reduce pain and improve function in persistent tennis elbow. It is generally most useful as an adjunct to progressive strengthening rather than as a replacement for rehabilitation.
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Usually, yes. Exercises or loads that significantly aggravate symptoms may initially need to be modified, but the goal is generally to keep you active and progressively restore your tolerance to gripping, pulling and lifting.
Is Elbow Pain Affecting Your Work or Training?
If pain on the outside of your elbow is limiting gripping, lifting, work, gym training or sport, we can assess what's contributing and develop a progressive treatment and rehabilitation plan.