Tennis Elbow Treatment
That burning pain on the outside of your elbow that makes gripping, lifting, even shaking hands miserable. It’s not just tennis players — it’s anyone who grips hard for a living.
What Tennis Elbow Really Is
Despite the name, most of my tennis elbow patients don’t play tennis. They’re kiteboarders gripping the bar, weightlifters, carpenters, office workers death-gripping a mouse. The common thread: overloaded wrist extensor tendons at the lateral epicondyle.
It’s a tendinopathy, not a tendinitis — meaning the tendon is degenerating from chronic overload, not acutely inflamed. That’s why rest and ice alone rarely fix it, and why cortisone shots often make it worse long-term.
How I Treat Tennis Elbow
I assess grip strength, test the extensor tendons, and check upstream — because tennis elbow is often driven by shoulder instability or poor scapular control forcing the forearm to overwork. I treat the tendon locally and the chain globally.
Acupuncture for Tennis Elbow
Dry needling directly into the extensor tendon origin stimulates blood flow and triggers a healing response in the degenerated tissue. I also needle the forearm extensors to release the muscle tension pulling on the tendon, and address the shoulder girdle to reduce the overload pattern.
Functional Medicine for Tennis Elbow
Tendons need specific building blocks to heal: vitamin C, zinc, copper, and adequate protein. I also address systemic inflammation that impairs tendon repair. The right nutritional support can dramatically accelerate what the needling starts.
Supplements I often suggest
For tennis elbow, these are the supplements I suggest most often in my practice:
- Inflammatone (Designs for Health) — Herbs, nutrients, and enzymes that help modulate the inflammatory response.
- Turmero Active (Apex Energetics) — High-absorption liquid curcumin for joint comfort.
- OmegAvail Hi-Po Fish Oil (Designs for Health) — 1,600 mg EPA/DHA per serving with lipase for absorption — no fishy aftertaste.
See all the supplements I recommend →
I may earn a margin on dispensary orders. If you take prescription medications, check with your doctor before starting any new supplement.
Let’s Fix Your Elbow
Grip strength matters. Book a free intro call and tell me what’s going on.