Tennis Elbow Explained: What It Is, Why It Happens, and What Not to Do (Part 1)

If you’ve noticed pain on the outside of your elbow — whether you’re lifting, carrying groceries, or even just twisting open a salsa jar — you might be dealing with tennis elbow.

And no, you don’t need to play tennis to get it.

At Made 2 Move Physical Therapy, we see CrossFit athletes, desk workers, lifters, and golfers from Charlotte, Charleston, Daniel Island, and Mount Pleasant all dealing with the same frustrating pain.

The good news?

Tennis elbow is common, treatable, and doesn’t mean you have to stop moving. This two-part blog series will walk you through what it is, why it happens, and how to actually fix it.

In Part 1, we’ll cover what tennis elbow really is, why it happens, and what not to do.

In Part 2 (coming next), we’ll dive into the exact exercises and plan we use with our patients to get them back to lifting, gripping, and living pain-free.

What Is Tennis Elbow?

The medical name is lateral elbow tendinopathy. Simply put, it’s pain on the outside of your elbow or near the forearm muscles.

Common signs and symptoms:

• Pain or burning on the outside of the elbow

• Pain with gripping (weights, groceries, coffee mugs, jars)

• Discomfort with typing, twisting doorknobs, pouring coffee, or palms-down bicep curls

• Weaker grip strength

• Ache or pain radiating into the forearm

Because we use our forearms constantly, tennis elbow tends to feel like it’s always “there” — and that’s what makes it so frustrating.

Why Does Tennis Elbow Happen?

The muscles that extend your wrist and fingers share a tendon — the common extensor tendon — which attaches at the outside of the elbow.

When that tendon is exposed to too much load too quickly (or not enough load over time), it becomes irritated, sensitive, and painful. That’s when gripping a coffee mug or picking up a beer can suddenly hurts.

Here’s what’s important:

• It’s not a tear and not permanent damage.

• Things like massage, stretching, or dry needling may feel good temporarily but don’t solve the problem long term.

• The key is giving the tendon the right kind of stress so it can repair, remodel, and get stronger.

The Worst Mistake You Can Make

Many people think the solution is to stop using the arm completely. Unfortunately, rest makes tendons weaker.

Tendons are like picky houseplants — they need the right amount of stress to grow. Too much? They flare up. Too little? They shrink back.

That’s why total rest often leads to symptoms returning as soon as you start using the arm again.

First Steps to Start Healing

Tennis elbow usually takes time to fully resolve — often 3–6 months, sometimes up to a year. But you don’t have to just “wait it out.”

Here are two beginner-friendly options:

• Wrist isometric hold: especially helpful when your elbow feels very irritated

• Supported wrist curls/extensions: keep your elbow bent and supported at first

These help you introduce stress without overloading the tendon.

The rule of thumb: don’t let pain go higher than a 3–4/10 during or after exercise.

Key Takeaway

Your elbow isn’t broken — it’s underprepared.The worst thing you can do is nothing.

The best thing you can do is give the tendon the right stress and let it adapt.

What’s Next

In Part 2, we’ll share the exact progression plan we use with our patients — the same one that’s helped people go from pain while opening a salsa jar to lifting, gripping, and training pain-free.

If you’re in Charleston, Daniel Island, or Mount Pleasant and you’re tired of dealing with elbow pain, our team at Made 2 Move can help. We specialize in 1-on-1 physical therapy that gets you back to doing what you love.

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