Tennis Elbow
Tennis Elbow Physio Melton
Pain Gripping, Lifting, or Using Your Arm?
Tennis elbow can make everyday tasks surprisingly frustrating.
Shaking someone’s hand.
Lifting a coffee cup.
Opening a jar.
Carrying shopping bags.
Even typing or using the mouse for long periods can start aggravating the elbow.
A lot of people expect it to only happen from playing tennis.
But most people we see with tennis elbow at Melton Physio have never picked up a racquet.
It’s actually very common in people doing repetitive gripping, lifting, gym training, trades work, desk work, and manual labour.
And for many people, the pain slowly builds over time.
At first it’s just annoying.
Then suddenly simple tasks start becoming painful every day.
What Is Tennis Elbow?
Tennis elbow is a condition involving irritation and overload of the tendons on the outside of the elbow.
The medical term is lateral epicondylalgia.
These tendons connect the forearm muscles that help with gripping, lifting, wrist movement, and hand control.
When those tendons become overloaded repeatedly, they can start becoming painful and sensitive.
You might also hear it called:
- Lateral epicondylitis
- Lateral elbow pain
- Forearm tendon irritation
- Extensor tendon overload
- Tennis elbow syndrome
Despite the name, it’s usually more of a tendon overload problem than true “inflammation”.
That’s why it often lingers for months when it’s not managed properly.
Common Symptoms of Tennis Elbow
People experience tennis elbow differently, but common symptoms include:
- Pain on the outside of the elbow
- Pain gripping objects
- Weak grip strength
- Pain lifting items with the palm facing down
- Aching through the forearm
- Pain using tools or a computer mouse
- Discomfort during gym exercises
- Pain shaking hands
- Morning stiffness in the elbow or forearm
- Pain after repetitive arm activity
For some people, the pain becomes constant.
Others only notice it during lifting or repetitive tasks.
Either way, it tends to become increasingly frustrating when it keeps hanging around.
Why Tennis Elbow Happens
Usually, there isn’t one single cause.
It’s often a gradual build-up of overload through the forearm tendons.
Repetitive Gripping & Lifting
Repeated gripping places stress through the elbow tendons.
This commonly happens with:
- Trades work
- Warehouse work
- Hairdressing
- Office work
- Gardening
- Manual labour
Gym Training
Tennis elbow is common in gym-goers.
Especially during:
- Pull-ups
- Rows
- Deadlifts
- Heavy gripping exercises
- Bicep curls
Sometimes it’s linked to sudden increases in training load.
Other times it’s technique, recovery, or simply overloading tissues faster than they can tolerate.
Poor Load Management
The tendon often becomes irritated when repetitive activity keeps exceeding what the tissue can currently handle.
Without enough recovery, the tendon starts becoming increasingly sensitive.
Neck & Shoulder Contribution
In some people, elbow pain isn’t only coming from the elbow itself.
Restricted neck or shoulder movement can sometimes contribute to overload further down the arm.
If upper body tension is part of the picture, related issues like neck pain or shoulder pain may also need attention.
Why Tennis Elbow Keeps Coming Back
This is one of the most frustrating parts.
A lot of people rest the arm completely for a few weeks.
The pain settles slightly.
Then the symptoms flare up again the moment they return to work, training, or repetitive activity.
That usually happens because the tendon capacity never fully improved.
The tissue may calm down temporarily.
But if strength, loading tolerance, movement control, and recovery haven’t improved underneath, the pain often returns.
This is why proper rehab matters so much with tennis elbow.
How Physiotherapy Helps Tennis Elbow
At Melton Physio, treatment focuses on reducing tendon irritation while gradually rebuilding strength and load tolerance.
Not just masking symptoms for a few days.
Every elbow is different.
That’s why treatment is tailored to what’s actually driving the overload.
Hands-On Physiotherapy
Treatment may include:
- Soft tissue treatment
- Forearm muscle release
- Joint mobilisation
- Tendon unloading strategies
- Movement therapy
- Forearm mobility work
The goal is to reduce irritation without completely deconditioning the arm.
Strengthening & Tendon Rehab
Rehab is one of the most important parts of recovery.
Once symptoms settle, we gradually rebuild tendon capacity through:
- Forearm strengthening
- Grip strengthening
- Eccentric tendon exercises
- Progressive loading
- Shoulder stability work
- Gym-specific rehab where needed
This helps improve the tendon’s tolerance to work, lifting, and repetitive activity long-term.
Load & Movement Assessment
Sometimes the issue isn’t just weakness.
It’s how the arm is repeatedly being loaded.
We often assess:
- Work setup
- Lifting technique
- Training volume
- Grip mechanics
- Exercise selection
- Recovery habits
Small changes can take a huge amount of stress off the elbow.
When Should You Get Tennis Elbow Checked?
It’s worth getting assessed if you have:
- Elbow pain lasting more than a couple of weeks
- Pain gripping objects
- Weakness in the forearm
- Pain during gym training
- Pain using tools or the computer
- Recurring elbow flare-ups
- Pain lifting everyday items
- Persistent forearm tightness
The earlier it’s treated, the easier it usually is to settle.
Especially before the tendon becomes highly irritated and difficult to load.
Tennis Elbow & Related Conditions
Tennis elbow sometimes overlaps with other upper limb problems.
That’s why proper assessment matters.
Sometimes the pain may also involve:
- Forearm muscle overload
- Grip weakness
- Neck-related referral
- Shoulder instability
- Nerve irritation
- Upper limb tendon overload
In some cases, symptoms can even mimic nerve-related pain such as a pinched nerve neck problem.
Why People Choose Melton Physio
People across Melton choose Melton Physio because we focus on identifying why the tendon became overloaded in the first place.
Not just temporarily calming the pain.
You’ll get:
- A thorough assessment
- Clear explanations
- Hands-on physiotherapy
- Progressive rehab planning
- Practical load management advice
- Movement-focused treatment
- Long-term strengthening strategies
No generic exercise sheets.
No rushed treatment.
Just straightforward physiotherapy tailored to your work, training, and lifestyle.
Book a Tennis Elbow Assessment in Melton
If you’re dealing with ongoing elbow pain, painful gripping, or forearm irritation that keeps flaring up, it’s worth getting it properly assessed.
At Melton Physio, we help people across Melton recover from tennis elbow with hands-on physiotherapy, tendon rehab, and progressive strengthening designed to keep the pain from continually returning.
👉 Book your appointment today