Tips for Recovering from Tennis Elbow Injury

How to Fix Tennis Elbow (and Keep It From Coming Back)

If you’ve ever felt that sharp, nagging pain on the outside of your elbow every time you grip, lift, or swing — you’re not alone. Tennis elbow (aka lateral epicondylitis) is one of the most common overuse injuries we see at Corrective Physical Therapy in Scottsdale and Arcadia.

And here’s the truth:
You don’t have to play tennis to get it. It shows up in anyone who uses their arms repeatedly — from weekend golfers to painters to people who spend hours at a desk.

The good news? With the right plan, you can recover stronger than before.

Step 1: Calm the Pain, Don’t Stop Moving

When pain flares up, try the R.I.C.E. method — Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation.
But here’s where most people go wrong: they rest too long. Total rest can actually delay recovery.
We want to decrease irritation without losing movement.

✅ Ice for 10–15 minutes a few times a day to manage pain if necessary
✅ Use a light compression brace during aggravating tasks
✅ Keep gentle motion through the wrist, elbow, and shoulder

Step 2: Strength Is the Long-Term Fix

The best treatment for tennis elbow isn’t a brace — it’s building capacity.
At Corrective PT, we use eccentric and isometric loading to restore tendon tolerance and eliminate pain at the source.

Here’s what that looks like:
💪 Slow, controlled wrist extensions
💪 Forearm and grip strengthening
💪 Shoulder and scapular stability work

Step 3: Address the Why, Not Just the Where

Most people focus only on the elbow — but that’s just the symptom.
The real problem usually involves poor load transfer from the shoulder, scapula, or wrist.
Our sports performance PT approach evaluates your full movement chain — from how you swing, grip, and load, to how your shoulder stabilizes under force.

Step 4: Progress and Prevent

Once symptoms improve, we’ll layer in:
⚡ Mobility & flexibility training for the shoulder and wrist
⚡ Sports-specific movement drills
⚡ Gradual return-to-sport programming

This is how we bridge the gap between rehab and performance — so you don’t just feel better, you stay better.

💬 The Takeaway

If you’ve been dealing with tennis elbow for weeks (or months), it’s time to stop managing and start addressing it.
At Corrective Physical Therapy, our Scottsdale and Arcadia locations specialize in sports injury rehab, mobility training, and performance-based recovery to get you back in the game — pain-free and confident.

👉 Ready to fix it for good?