Elbow pain at Physio+ covers tennis elbow (lateral epicondyle), golfer elbow (medial epicondyle), and overuse tendinopathy from desk or lifting work. Loading plus shockwave in stubborn cases resolves the majority of elbow tendinopathies inside six to twelve weeks, without cortisone injections.
Elbow pain is almost always a tendon story, not a joint story. Tennis elbow is lateral epicondyle tendinopathy of the extensor carpi radialis brevis. Golfer elbow is medial epicondyle tendinopathy of the flexor pronator group. Both respond to loading, not rest. Most patients get worse with three months of rest and bracing. They get better with three months of structured loading.
We use a combination of isometric loading for the acute phase, progressive heavy slow resistance for the remodeling phase, and shockwave therapy for stubborn cases that have been around longer than twelve weeks. Dry needling helps when the muscle belly carries trigger points.
A Physio+ elbow evaluation takes sixty minutes. We confirm the tissue, rule out cervical referral, dose the load, and teach the two to three exercises you will actually do.
For chronic lateral or medial epicondyle tendinopathy that has not responded to three months of loading.
Explore Rehab and performanceOne on one DPT care that gets the right dose on the tendon, not a generic exercise sheet.
Explore NeuromuscularFor trigger points in the extensor or flexor pronator group that radiate pain down the forearm.
ExploreRarely. Most tennis elbow we see is from gripping, lifting, typing, or repetitive work tasks. Pickleball and racket sports contribute, but desk workers make up the majority of our cases.
No. Resting a tendon weakens it. Loading a tendon strengthens it. The trick is finding the dose that stresses the tendon without irritating it. That is what a DPT evaluation gives you.
Cortisone offers short term relief but consistently performs worse than exercise at one year. We use it only when pain is sleep limiting and only after loading has been tried.
Light loading starts on visit one. Most patients return to full gym work inside six to eight weeks. Heavy grip sports take longer.
Counterforce braces help some patients short term but do not change the tendon biology. We teach the loading program first and add the brace only if you need it to get through a specific work task.
Yes. Extracorporeal shockwave therapy has the strongest evidence for lateral epicondyle tendinopathy of any modality. We use it in cases that have been stubborn past twelve weeks.
Book the $99 audit. You leave with a working diagnosis, two to three exercises, and a clear timeline.