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Tennis elbow is rarely from tennis. It is from gripping: a mouse, a tool, a steering wheel, a phone. The muscles that lift the wrist and fingers all gather into one tendon on the outside of the elbow, and when they are tight all day, that tendon complains. The elbow is where it hurts. The forearm is where the problem is.
What helps
Work the forearm, not the elbow. Everything that lifts your fingers lives in the meaty top of the forearm just below the elbow. That is what needs attention. Pressing on the sore bony spot itself just makes it sorer.
The points. Bend the elbow. Quchi, LI11, is at the outer end of the elbow crease, in the hollow. Shousanli, LI10, is two finger-widths down the forearm from there, in the muscle. Both are tender when the elbow is grumpy. A minute each, firm thumb pressure, a few times a day.
Heat before, not after. Warmth on the forearm before you use it makes the muscle more willing. After a long day of gripping, cold on the outer elbow for ten minutes settles it.
My picks
Lever-style forearm massage rollerBest overall
A hinged roller you squeeze around the forearm with your other hand and slide up and down. It reaches the top of the forearm with real pressure, which is hard to do with your own thumb.
- Pressure you cannot get from a thumb
- Two minutes a day is enough
- Also works on the calf
Wraparound elbow and forearm heat wrapWarm-up
A wrap that stays on the forearm while you work at a desk for the first fifteen minutes of the day. Loosens the muscles before you start gripping.
- Stays on while you type
- Timer shuts it off
- Covers elbow and upper forearm together
Stainless steel muscle scraping toolFor scraping
The same body tool I recommend for the neck. Its curved edge fits the forearm perfectly. Read the technique in the gua sha guide before you use it.
- Reaches the whole forearm in a minute
- Sanitises with alcohol
- One tool for neck, shoulders and forearms
Counterforce elbow strapWorth a try, not a fix
A strap just below the elbow changes where the tendon pulls, and some people find it lets them work with less pain. It does not treat the cause. Use it on the days you cannot avoid gripping, and keep doing the rest.
- Cheap way to get through a heavy day
- Adjustable
- Easy to stop using when the forearm improves
A daily routine that takes four minutes
Heat on the forearm while you read the news. Roller or scraping tool on the top of the forearm, two minutes. Press Quchi and Shousanli, a minute each. Then a gentle stretch: arm straight, palm down, other hand pulls the fingers toward you, thirty seconds.
The honest summary
Treat the forearm, press the two points, heat before and cool after, and change how you grip if you can. Straps and braces get you through a day; the forearm work gets you better.
Also worth having
Two things that change the cause instead of the symptom, and cold for the end of the day.
Vertical ergonomic mouseChange how you grip
If the gripping is a mouse, change the mouse. A vertical one puts the hand in a handshake position, and the forearm muscles that lift the fingers stop working all day. It takes about a week to feel normal. Most of my desk patients do not go back.
- Takes the forearm out of the gripping position
- Addresses the cause, not the sore spot
- A week to adjust, then it is invisible
Rubber twist bar for forearm exerciseThe exercise that works
A flexible rubber bar for a slow twisting exercise that loads the forearm tendon as it lengthens. It is the one exercise with real evidence behind it for tennis elbow. Start with the lightest resistance and have someone show you the movement once; done wrong it is just more gripping.
- The exercise physiotherapists actually prescribe
- Three minutes a day
- Start light and progress
Please read: Stop if the pain is sharp rather than a working ache. Not for an elbow that is swollen or after a fall, and get the technique checked before you rely on it.
Small gel cold pack with a strapCold after
Heat before you use the arm, cold after. A small gel pack with a strap sits on the outer elbow for ten minutes at the end of a gripping day while you do something else with the other hand.
- Settles the outer elbow after a heavy day
- Strap holds it while you carry on
- Small enough for a work freezer
Please read: A cloth between pack and skin, ten to fifteen minutes. Numbness or pins and needles in the fingers is a nerve, not the elbow; see your provider.
Content on this site is educational and is not a substitute for individual medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Talk with your own healthcare provider before starting any new therapy, especially if you are pregnant, have a medical condition or take medication.