Tennis elbow, clinically known as “lateral epicondylitis,” is one of the most common overuse conditions—but it’s often not caused by Tennis. In fact, most people develop tennis elbow from repetitive lifting, typing, or other wrist movements that overload the forearm tendons.
At Balanced Flow, our tennis elbow treatment near Bucktown provides relief through more than just rest and generic exercises. By understanding the why behind tennis elbow, we can correct the movement patterns that cause it.
What Is Tennis Elbow?
Tennis elbow occurs when the tendons that connect the forearm muscles to the elbow experience repeated strain or suffer inflammation. Over time, this leads to micro-tears and persistent pain, especially when you grip or lift something.
You may have tennis elbow if you experience:
- Pain or tenderness on the outer elbow
- Weak grip strength
- Pain from lifting objects
- Pain from twisting the wrist
- Discomfort in the forearm
Why Tennis Elbow Keeps Coming Back
Many cases of tennis elbow develop due to tendon overuse and poor load distribution rather than a single injury. This is why rest alone often only provides temporary relief.
Tennis elbow also does not exist in isolation. Often, the elbow compensates for issues elsewhere in the body, like poor shoulder coordination, limited wrist mobility, or an inefficient grip.
If all the contributing factors don’t get addressed, the tendons continue to absorb excess stress, even if you feel you’ve rested for long enough.
How We Treat Tennis Elbow
Our tennis elbow treatment near Bucktown starts with a full-body functional exam. We look beyond the elbow to see how your muscles move together and if your body might be compensating for weaker areas.
We also look at movement patterns and joints throughout the arm and upper body to identify why the forearm tendons at your elbow have become overloaded.
From there, we tailor your physical therapy to your specific needs. We may target strengthening the forearm and wrist for better control, or we may work on neuromuscular retraining to improve muscle coordination. If tennis elbow comes from a specific sport, we may recommend athlete therapy.
The goal of treatment is to restore efficient movement, so the tendon can heal and stay healed for the long-run.
Our Advanced Supportive Therapies
When needed, we also offer additional therapies to support recovery. Our trigger point injections, for example, help release chronically tight muscles to improve tissue health.
During your consultation, we can help determine the most effective treatment plan for you. Many patients have also found great success with regenerative therapies for stubborn tennis elbow cases.
Don’t Let Tennis Elbow Keep Coming Back
You don’t have to let tennis elbow become a chronic issue. With the right approach, most people can return to their daily activities, like work and exercise, without ongoing pain.
To get started, book an appointment with us.
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