Tennis Elbow Treatment in Bromley
Tennis elbow is pain at the bony point on the outside of the elbow, where the tendons that straighten the wrist and fingers anchor onto bone. Golfer’s elbow is the same problem on the inside, where the tendons that bend the wrist attach. Neither is usually caused by tennis or golf. What they share is that gripping hurts: a kettle, a jar lid, a handshake, a bag of shopping carried in one hand.
The people we see with this at our Bromley clinic are mostly plumbers, electricians, hairdressers, chefs and carers, plus new parents hauling car seats. The common thread is rarely a moment of injury; it is a change in how much gripping the arm has been asked to do. Most arrive having already given it three or four months to settle on its own.
How to tell if that is what you have
Both versions can usually be placed with a fingertip.
- A pinpoint sore spot on the bony bump outside the elbow, or inside it for golfer’s elbow.
- Pain on gripping, and a grip that has weakened — people describe dropping mugs.
- Pain lifting with the palm facing down, or wringing out a cloth.
- An elbow that still bends and straightens fully, does not swell and does not lock.
- Pain spreading into the forearm as an ache rather than pins and needles.
Neck problems refer into the forearm but change with neck movement and bring tingling. Nerve irritation below the elbow is tender further down, in muscle rather than bone, and tingling in the little and ring fingers points to a nerve.
What actually causes it
The traditional names end in “-itis”, implying inflammation, but tissue from long-standing cases shows very little of it. What it shows is disorganised collagen, repair tissue that never matured, and extra vessels and nerve endings growing in. This is a tendon asked to do more than it could tolerate.
That changes what helps. Complete rest feels good for a fortnight and is one reason these problems drag on: pain quietens, the tendon loses more capacity, and it hurts again the moment you go back to work. Steroid injections help some people short-term, but the trial evidence is awkward — early relief is real, while results at six and twelve months are no better, and sometimes worse, than exercise or waiting. What does change a tendon is loading it at a level it can handle, built up over months.
How we treat it at the clinic
Assessment first: which tendon, how irritable it is, what your grip tolerates, and whether the shoulder or neck is contributing.
The centrepiece is an exercise programme: isometric holds while the elbow is angry, then slow, heavy, progressive wrist and grip work. This is the part with the strongest evidence by a clear margin.
Deep tissue massage through the forearm makes the arm feel looser and the loading easier to keep up, which is its real value. Medical acupuncture into the forearm muscles often helps the ache below the elbow. Both are adjuncts to the exercise, not treatments in their own right.
What you can do yourself
- Change how you lift rather than stopping: palm up, close to the body, two hands where you can.
- Adjust the tools: fatter grips on tools and racket handles, filling the kettle half full, moving the mouse closer.
- Use isometric holds when it is sore. Push against your other hand for thirty seconds, several times, most days.
- A forearm strap is cheap and some people find it takes the edge off at work. The evidence is modest and short-term, so treat it as a crutch, not a treatment.
How long it takes
This is a slow condition, and it is kinder to know that at the start. Most people notice a change within four to six weeks of consistent loading, usually in how the elbow feels the morning after a working day. Meaningful recovery takes three to six months, and a neglected case six to twelve.
The reassuring part is that the great majority do get better. If there is no progress after three months of genuine effort, a GP review may lead to imaging, an NHS physiotherapy referral or a specialist opinion.
When to see a doctor instead
Not every painful elbow is a tendon problem. See a doctor if you have any of the following.
- A fall or direct blow followed by swelling, bruising, deformity, or an elbow that will not straighten.
- A sudden pop at the front of the elbow while lifting, with weakness bending the arm and a change in the shape of the biceps. That needs urgent assessment, as ruptures there are often repaired surgically.
- Locking, catching, or a joint that blocks partway through movement.
- Numbness, pins and needles or weakness in the hand.
- A hot, red, swollen elbow with fever or feeling unwell.
- Pain at night unrelated to use, or unexplained weight loss.
Book tennis elbow treatment in Bromley
You will find us at Carlton Chambers, 5 Station Road, Bromley BR2 0EY. The entrance is the red side gate to the right of the building, a three-minute walk from Shortlands station. Alongside Bromley we see people from Beckenham, Shortlands, Hayes, West Wickham, Chislehurst, Petts Wood and Orpington.
Call 07896 257328 to ask whether treatment would suit your elbow, or book an appointment online. See our prices or the location page for directions.
Written by Dharam Vyas, sports therapist and clinic director at SMSM Therapy, Bromley.