Tennis Elbow Treatment in Joondalup and Perth's Northern Suburbs
Pain on the outer side of the elbow that makes gripping, lifting, or turning your wrist uncomfortable — tennis elbow is far more common than the name suggests, and most cases respond well to conservative care.
Tennis elbow, clinically known as lateral epicondylalgia, is a tendinopathy affecting the tendons that attach to the outer bony point of the elbow. It is common in tradespeople, office workers, racquet-sport players, and anyone who performs repetitive gripping or wrist activity.
What Is Tennis Elbow?
The extensor tendons of the forearm attach to a bony point on the outer elbow called the lateral epicondyle.
Tennis elbow develops when these tendons are overloaded, leading to microscopic damage and a degenerative process within the tendon rather than pure inflammation.
This is why the term tendinopathy has largely replaced tendinitis in the research literature.
It most commonly affects the extensor carpi radialis brevis tendon and usually develops gradually from repetitive loading rather than a single acute event.
Common Causes
The tendon is commonly overloaded by repetitive gripping, twisting, tool use, or a sudden increase in activity.
- Repetitive gripping, lifting, or twisting of the wrist and forearm
- Sudden increases in activity, training load, or new tasks at work
- Tool use, particularly screwdrivers, hammers, or keyboards
- Racquet sports with poor technique or an ill-fitting grip
- Age-related tendon changes, most commonly between 35 and 55
Symptoms
- Pain or burning on the outer side of the elbow
- Weakness when gripping, lifting, or shaking hands
- Pain with wrist extension or forearm rotation
- Tenderness directly over the lateral epicondyle
- Symptoms that worsen with activity, ease with rest, and return quickly when loading resumes
What the Research Shows
Research supports conservative multimodal care, particularly exercise combined with manual therapy.
- The 2006 Bisset et al. BMJ randomised trial found that physiotherapy combining elbow manipulation and exercise was superior to waiting without treatment during the first six weeks. It also produced significantly better long-term outcomes than corticosteroid injection, which showed high recurrence rates after an initial benefit.
- A 2022 overview of systematic reviews by Di Filippo et al. found that conservative multimodal care combining exercise, manual therapy, and other modalities was the most commonly supported first-line approach and was consistently favoured over surgery or injections as an initial intervention.
How We Can Help
Care is selected according to the tendon involved, the severity and duration of symptoms, grip tolerance, and the activities that repeatedly load the elbow.
Cross-friction massage may be applied along the extensor carpi radialis brevis tendon at the lateral epicondyle, combined with longitudinal work through the forearm extensors to reduce load at the attachment point.
A bevelled instrument may be used along the lateral epicondyle and extensor tendon to address restricted tissue in chronic cases and support tendon remodelling.
Dry needling may target the extensor carpi radialis brevis near the tendon attachment and trigger points in the forearm extensors that may be sustaining the pain cycle.
Cold laser may be applied at the lateral epicondyle to reduce pain that is limiting progressive tendon-loading exercise, which remains an important part of long-term recovery.
Learn more about Cold Laser Therapy or visit Cold Laser Perth .
A counterforce strip may be applied just below the lateral epicondyle to change the point of maximum tendon stress during gripping and support work or training while the tendon recovers.
Rehabilitation may begin with isometric wrist-extension holds to reduce pain before progressing to eccentric and heavy slow resistance loading of the extensor tendons. Progressive loading supports tissue recovery rather than only short-term symptom management.
Persistent Outer-Elbow Pain Is Worth Assessing
Lakeside Chiropractic is based in Joondalup and sees patients from Currambine, Woodvale, Kingsley, Duncraig, Wanneroo, Tapping, Carramar, Heathridge, Edgewater, Mullaloo, Padbury, Banksia Grove, Yanchep, Gnangara, and across Perth's northern suburbs.
Call us on 9300 0095 or visit lakesidechiro.com.au .
Disclaimer: This page provides general health information only and is not a substitute for professional assessment, diagnosis, or treatment. Results vary between individuals. Please consult a qualified health professional to discuss your individual circumstances.
References
- Bisset L, et al. Mobilisation with movement and exercise, corticosteroid injection, or wait and see for tennis elbow: randomised trial. BMJ. 2006;333(7575):939. PMID 17012266
- Di Filippo L, et al. Treatment, diagnostic criteria and variability of terminology for lateral elbow pain: findings from an overview of systematic reviews. Healthcare (Basel). 2022;10(6):1095. PMID 35742152
Location Details
| Day | Hours |
|---|---|
| Sunday | 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM |
| Monday | 9:00 AM - 7:00 PM |
| Tuesday | 8:00 AM - 7:00 PM |
| Wednesday | 8:00 AM - 7:00 PM |
| Thursday | 8:00 AM - 7:00 PM |
| Friday | 8:00 AM - 7:00 PM |
| Saturday | 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM |
