How to Treat Tennis Elbow: What Works and How Long It Lasts

Tennis elbow is one of the most common causes of elbow pain, and one of the most frustrating, because it can linger for months. The good news is that it almost always gets better, and the right treatment speeds that up considerably. The surprising part is that the most effective treatment is not rest or injections, but gradually strengthening the tendon.

This guide explains how to treat tennis elbow, which treatments have the best evidence, which to use with caution, how long recovery usually takes and when to get it checked.

What tennis elbow is

Tennis elbow, known medically as lateral elbow tendinopathy, is overload of the tendon on the outer side of the elbow that anchors the muscles which lift the wrist and fingers. It causes pain when gripping, lifting, turning a door handle or shaking hands. Most people who get it do not play tennis. It is usually caused by repeated gripping, typing, lifting or DIY, and is most common between 35 and 55.

First steps

• Ease off the tasks that hurt, such as heavy gripping or lifting with the palm facing down, without stopping using the arm altogether
• Lift with the palm facing up and the elbow bent, keeping objects close to your body
• A forearm strap worn just below the elbow can reduce pain during activity
• Pain relief gel or tablets, discussed with a pharmacist, for short-term comfort

The treatment with the best evidence: strengthening

Tendons recover by being loaded gradually, not by resting. A progressive strengthening programme is the most consistently supported treatment for tennis elbow.

1. Isometric holds. Rest your forearm on a table, palm down, and hold the wrist level against light resistance for 30 to 45 seconds, five times. These often ease pain as well as starting to strengthen the tendon.
2. Slow lowering. Holding a light weight, lower the wrist slowly over three to four seconds. Build up to three sets of 15.
3. Progressive loading. Increase the weight gradually over weeks, and add grip and forearm rotation exercises.

Mild discomfort during exercise is acceptable if it settles by the next morning. Our tennis elbow exercises guide shows each stage in detail.

Other treatments

• Physiotherapy: sets the right starting load, progresses it and adds hands-on treatment and workplace advice.
• Acupuncture: some reviews suggest short-term pain relief, which can make exercise easier.
• Laser therapy: some trials report benefit when combined with exercise.
• Shockwave therapy: sometimes used for persistent cases, with mixed evidence.

Treatments to use with caution

• Steroid injections. They can ease pain in the short term, but research has linked them to worse outcomes and more recurrence at one year compared with exercise-based care.
• Complete rest or immobilising the arm. This weakens the tendon further.
• Pushing through sharp pain. Loading should be challenging but tolerable.

Surgery is reserved for a small number of people whose symptoms persist despite many months of good management.

How long does tennis elbow last?

Many cases settle within six months to a year, and most people recover within two years. Recovery is usually faster when aggravating tasks are reduced early and strengthening starts promptly. Expect steady improvement over weeks rather than days.

When to get it checked

• Urgently if the elbow is hot, red and swollen, you feel unwell, or pain followed a fall and you cannot move the elbow
• Numbness or tingling into the fingers, which can point to a nerve problem
• Neck pain or pain travelling up and down the arm
• No improvement after six to eight weeks of reducing aggravating activities

Frequently asked questions

What is the fastest way to heal tennis elbow?

Reduce the tasks that aggravate it and start a progressive strengthening programme early. There is no quick fix, but this combination shortens recovery for most people.

Should I rest tennis elbow?

Rest from the aggravating tasks, but not from using the arm. Complete rest weakens the tendon.

Does a tennis elbow strap help?

It can reduce pain during gripping for some people, as a short-term aid alongside exercise.

Is tennis elbow the same as golfer's elbow?

No. Golfer's elbow affects the inner side of the elbow. Treatment follows the same principles, with the exercises reversed.

Tennis elbow treatment in Chiswick

Elbow pain is assessed and treated at Omnia Lifestyle in Chiswick, W4, close to Turnham Green station, on bus routes 94, E3 and 272. Limited parking is available on request when booking.

Read more about tennis elbow and sports injuries, see our tennis elbow exercises, explore physiotherapy, acupuncture and red light therapy, or book an assessment.

This article is general information, not medical advice. If you have any of the warning signs listed above, seek medical attention.