Pinpoint pain on the outer elbow bone that flares when you shake hands, lift a kettle or carry bags? Lateral epicondylitis — “tennis elbow” — is the most common form of elbow pain, and for most patients the culprit is not sport but repetitive hand work.
What is tennis elbow?
The tendons of the muscles that extend your wrist and fingers attach at the lateral epicondyle. Under repetitive overload this attachment develops micro-damage and degeneration (tendinopathy) — the characteristic pain with gripping and lifting. It is not simple “inflammation” — which is why anti-inflammatories alone do not fix it.
Common symptoms
Pain on the outer elbow when shaking hands, lifting palm-down, pouring, opening jars; weaker grip; pain running down the forearm; pinpoint tenderness on the epicondyle.
Common causes
Repetitive grip-and-twist movements (mouse and keyboard, screwdrivers, cooking, gardening, racquet sports with poor technique or equipment), sudden volume increases, unprepared forearm muscles and a C6–C7 neck component sustaining symptoms.
Can it be treated without surgery?
Yes — the progressive extensor-loading programme (isometric → eccentric → functional) is the best-evidenced treatment. Cortisone injections give short-term relief but poorer one-year results; surgery is reserved for cases refractory to 6–12 months of correct treatment.
How we treat tennis elbow at Medicine Park
We assess the elbow, forearm, shoulder and cervical spine, then build your loading programme, adding manual therapy, dry needling for the extensors, a short-term counterforce brace if useful, and ergonomic adjustments (mouse, tools, technique). You keep working — intelligently dosed. All in English.
How long does recovery take?
Recent cases: 6–8 weeks. Chronic ones: 3+ months of consistency, with progress measured on grip strength.
When to seek help
If every workday reignites elbow pain for more than two weeks, book an assessment. Your first assessment at Medicine Park is free.
