Tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis) produces pain on the outside of the elbow where the wrist extensor tendons attach. Golfer's elbow (medial epicondylitis) does the same thing on the inside, where the flexors attach. Despite the names, most patients with either condition have never picked up a racquet or a club.
The real causes are ordinary: repetitive gripping, computer mouse use, tools, lifting toddlers, and any activity that loads the wrist repeatedly with the elbow relatively still.
Symptoms we hear about
- Pain on the outside or inside of the elbow
- Pain gripping, shaking hands, or turning a doorknob
- Weak grip strength
- Pain lifting an object with the palm down
- Tenderness directly over the bony point of the elbow
- Aching that travels down the forearm
What usually causes it
- Repetitive gripping and wrist extension
- Poor keyboard and mouse ergonomics
- Sudden increases in load or a new activity
- Weak shoulder and scapular control shifting demand to the forearm
- Poor technique in racquet sports or golf
- Cervical nerve irritation contributing to forearm symptoms
Degenerated tendon, not inflamed tendon
Like plantar fasciitis, the -itis in epicondylitis is misleading. Biopsies of chronic cases show degenerative change in the tendon with disorganized collagen and poor blood supply, not an active inflammatory infiltrate.
This is exactly why rest, ice, and anti-inflammatories so often produce temporary relief followed by immediate recurrence when you go back to using the arm. Nothing about that approach remodels degenerated tendon.
Load is the medicine
The strongest evidence in tendinopathy treatment supports progressive loading, specifically eccentric and heavy slow resistance work. Controlled tension applied to a degenerated tendon stimulates the cells to lay down new, properly aligned collagen. Complete rest does the opposite.
We teach you exactly how to load it, at what tempo and what weight, and progress you as the tendon adapts. It feels counterintuitive to work a painful tendon on purpose, and it is the thing that works.
Then we look upstream
Chronic elbow tendinopathy frequently traces back to the shoulder or neck. If your scapular stabilizers are weak, your forearm compensates on every gripping task. If a cervical nerve root is irritated, the forearm extensors are receiving compromised signal and fatigue faster.
We combine StemWave for the degenerated tendon, our muscle protocol for forearm adhesion, laser for pain control, adjustments to the elbow, wrist, and cervical spine, and a loading program that fixes it for good.
How we treat tennis elbow & golfer's elbow in Frisco
Your plan is built from your exam findings, not from a template. These are the tools we most often combine for this condition.
Tennis Elbow & Golfer's Elbow: common questions
How long does tennis elbow take to heal?
With an appropriate loading program most cases improve substantially in six to twelve weeks. Long-standing cases take longer. Tendons genuinely remodel slowly, and the timeline is biological rather than a reflection of effort.
Should I wear a brace?
A counterforce strap worn just below the elbow can meaningfully reduce pain during activity by changing where load transfers. It is a symptom management tool, not a treatment, and it works best alongside a loading program rather than instead of one.
Can I keep playing or working through it?
Usually, with modification. Complete rest is rarely the right answer for tendinopathy. We work with you on technique, grip size, ergonomics, and volume so you can keep doing what matters while the tendon rebuilds.
