Lateral epicondylitis, commonly known as tennis elbow, is a painful condition located around the outer portion of the elbow caused by activities that overload the wrist extensor muscles and tissue. Common causes of this injury include playing racket sports such as tennis and pickleball, and professions that require repetitive use of the wrist muscles such as construction workers, flooring or roofing installers, or computer technicians. Daily hobbies and activities such as gardening, shoveling, and chopping wood may also cause an acute flare up of tennis elbow. 

Tennis elbow can cause pain and discomfort in the elbow during movement that can sometimes extend from the outside of the elbow down to the forearm and wrist. 

Physical therapy provides proper care and corrective exercises and stretches that will help strengthen the tendons and muscles surrounding the elbow and wrist. Physical therapy techniques focus on pain reduction, restoration of function and reduces the risk of repeating the injury.

The physical therapists at Vita will work with you to design a specific treatment program that may include:

• Reducing pain and inflammation with soft tissue mobilization, light stretching, and myofascial release
• Safe, steady isometric strengthening activities combined with restoring active, pain free range of motion
• After pain and inflammation is under control, incorporating exercises that will strengthen the wrist muscles surrounding the lateral epicondyle as well as the muscles around the shoulder blades and upper arm
• Utilizing modalities such as kinesio taping, ultrasound, and dry needling to assist with reducing inflammation and providing pain relief
• Providing an at-home program with daily stretches and exercises to avoid risk of future injury