You reach out to grab the milk from the fridge, and a sharp, burning pain shoots through the outside of your elbow. You try to turn a stiff doorknob, and your grip gives out.
If this sounds familiar, you are likely dealing with Lateral Epicondylitis—better known as Tennis Elbow.
Here is the irony: most people who walk into our Ottawa clinics with this condition haven’t touched a tennis racquet in years. Whether you are an athlete, a carpenter, or someone who spends 8 hours a day at a computer, Tennis Elbow can bring your daily life to a screeching halt.
The good news? It is highly treatable. Here is everything you need to know about why your elbow hurts and how to fix it.
What is Tennis Elbow, Really?
“Tennis Elbow” is just a common nickname for inflammation or degeneration of the tendons on the outside (lateral side) of the elbow.
Your forearm muscles—the ones responsible for extending your wrist and fingers—all merge into a single tendon that attaches to a small bony bump on the outside of your elbow called the Lateral Epicondyle.
When you overuse these muscles, the tendon at the attachment point takes a beating. With repetitive stress, micro-tears begin to form in the collagen fibers of the tendon.
The body tries to heal these tears by laying down scar tissue. However, scar tissue is messy and weak compared to healthy tendon tissue. If you continue the activity without letting it heal, the scar tissue gets stretched and re-torn, leading to a cycle of chronic pain and inflammation.
It’s Not Just for Tennis Players
If you aren’t an athlete, you might be wondering why you have this injury.
While the name comes from the force required for a backhand swing in tennis, this injury is actually a Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI). It occurs in anyone who performs repetitive gripping, twisting, or wrist extension.
We frequently see this condition in:
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Office Workers: Constant mouse usage and typing with poor wrist posture (“Mouse Elbow”).
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Tradespeople: Plumbers, painters, and carpenters who constantly twist tools.
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Chefs & Butchers: Repetitive chopping and lifting of heavy pans.
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Gardeners: Pruning and digging involves heavy gripping.
The Self-Diagnosis: Do I Have Tennis Elbow?
While only a physiotherapist can give you a confirmed diagnosis, there are a few tell-tale signs that point specifically to Lateral Epicondylitis.
1. The “Coffee Cup” Test Do you feel sharp pain on the outside of your elbow when you pick up a full cup of coffee or a carton of milk? Weakness in grip strength with the arm extended is a classic sign.
2. The “Doorknob” Test Does the pain flare up when you twist your wrist, such as turning a stiff doorknob, opening a jar, or wringing out a wet towel?
3. The Middle Finger Test (Maudsley’s Test) Try this simple test:
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Extend your arm out straight in front of you, palm facing down.
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Use your other hand to resist movement.
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Try to lift only your middle finger up against the resistance.
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Result: If this causes sharp pain on the outside of your elbow, it is a strong positive sign of Tennis Elbow.
How to Treat Tennis Elbow at Home
If you have just started noticing the pain, there are a few things you can do immediately to stop it from getting worse.
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Modify Your Ergonomics: If you work at a desk, your keyboard might be too high, forcing your wrists to bend backward. Lower your keyboard so your wrists are neutral.
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The “Counter-Force” Brace: You can buy a tennis elbow strap at most pharmacies. This strap sits purely on the forearm muscle (not the painful bone). It changes the “fulcrum” of the muscle pull, taking the pressure off the damaged tendon attachment.
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Ice vs. Heat: In the acute stage (when it is throbbing), ice can help numb the pain. However, for chronic, stiff tendons, heat is often better to bring blood flow to the area. (Read more about Ice vs. Heat here).
When to See a Physiotherapist (And What We Do)
Tennis elbow is stubborn. Because tendons have a poor blood supply, they heal much slower than muscles. If pain persists for more than two weeks, or if you are waking up with stiffness in the morning, you need professional intervention to break the cycle of inflammation.
At Bellefleur Physiotherapy, we use a multi-pronged approach to fix the tendon, not just hide the pain.
1. Soft Tissue Mobilization We use hands-on massage and specific friction techniques to break down the unhealthy scar tissue and encourage the collagen fibers to align correctly.
2. Joint Mobilization Sometimes the issue isn’t just the tendon, but a stiff elbow or wrist joint that is forcing the muscles to work too hard. We mobilize the joints to ensure smooth movement.
3. Eccentric Loading Exercises This is the “gold standard” for tendon rehab. We will teach you specific exercises where you strengthen the muscle while it is lengthening. Research shows this stimulates the tendon to rebuild itself stronger than before.
4. Dry Needling & Ultrasound For stubborn cases, we may use therapeutic ultrasound to stimulate blood flow, or Dry Needling to release deep trigger points in the forearm muscles that are pulling on the tendon.
5. Shockwave therapy A non-invasive treatment that uses high-energy acoustic pulses to “re-start” the natural healing process in chronic or stubborn musculoskeletal injuries.
Don’t Let Pain Limit Your Life
You use your hands for almost everything you do. You shouldn’t have to wince every time you shake hands or pick up a grocery bag.
If you are in Ottawa and struggling with elbow pain, our team is here to help. We can assess your injury, check your workstation ergonomics, and build a plan to get you back to full strength.
We are ready to help you at our three convenient locations:
Book your assessment today and stop letting elbow pain hold you back.
Latest posts by Jason Bellefleur (see all)
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- “Backhanded” by Elbow Pain: A Complete Guide to Tennis Elbow - January 15, 2026
