Tennis Elbow Rehab
Eliminate lateral elbow pain and restore full grip strength
4-week
Programme length
£60
Assessment
Not needed
GP referral
Level 5 therapists
Written by
RE:UP ALTRINCHAM
Want a personalised assessment?
This guide is a starting point. For a diagnosis and a programme built specifically around your injury, book a 1:1 with our sports therapists.
Book an Assessment, £60Ask a question20 Huxley Street, Altrincham WA14 5HH
ALSO AT RE:UP
Combine your rehab with contrast therapy. Sauna and ice bath from £20.
View recovery sessionsOVERVIEW
A 4-week evidence-based programme for lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow). Combines progressive eccentric loading, grip strengthening and load management — proven to resolve tendon pain faster than rest alone.
Written by our sports therapists at RE:UP · Reviewed May 2026
WHAT IS IT
What is Tennis Elbow?
Tennis elbow — medically known as lateral epicondylalgia — is pain where the forearm extensor tendons attach to the outer side of the elbow (the lateral epicondyle). Despite its name, it is more commonly caused by repetitive wrist and forearm use in the gym, at work, or with racket sports than by tennis itself. It is characterised by pain, weakness on gripping, and tenderness on the outer elbow — and responds well to a structured loading programme, though often takes longer to settle than people expect.
COMMON CAUSES
What causes Tennis Elbow problems?
- 01Repetitive wrist extension loading — racket sports, weightlifting, manual work
- 02Sudden increase in grip-intensive training volume
- 03Weak forearm extensors unable to cope with repeated load
- 04Poor technique in racket sports placing eccentric stress on the lateral elbow
- 05Keyboard and mouse use in combination with gym loading
- 06Returning to training after a period of inactivity
- 07Gripping exercises — rows, deadlifts, pull-ups — with inadequate tendon conditioning
IMPORTANT
When to seek urgent help
Seek medical attention before starting this guide if you experience any of the following. Call your GP, NHS 111, or go to A&E.
- !Elbow pain following a direct blow or fall — consider fracture
- !Numbness or tingling radiating into the hand or fingers
- !Significant swelling or bruising around the elbow joint
- !Pain that is severe at rest and not related to activity
- !Progressive weakness in the wrist or hand rather than pain
SUITABLE FOR
Is this guide right for you?
- Tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis)
- Gym-related elbow pain
- Racket sport players
- Manual workers with elbow pain
- Post-injection recovery
WHAT'S INCLUDED
What this guide covers
- 4-week progressive loading programme (PDF)
- Eccentric wrist extension protocol
- Grip strength rebuilding phase
- Load management & activity modification guide
- Booking link for 1:1 assessment at RE:UP
TRAINING
Can you train during recovery?
Yes, with modifications. Lower body and cardiovascular training are almost always unaffected. Upper body work that loads the forearm extensors — particularly wrist extension, gripping, and pulling movements — is modified rather than stopped. The goal is to progressively reintroduce load through the tendon, not to avoid it entirely.
TIMELINE
Recovery timeframe
Tennis elbow typically takes 6–12 weeks of consistent rehabilitation to resolve. Symptoms can improve earlier, but tendon remodelling continues longer. The most common reason for recurrence is returning to full load as soon as pain settles, rather than completing the full progressive programme.
PROFESSIONAL ASSESSMENT
How RE:UP can help
A sports therapy assessment at RE:UP for tennis elbow identifies whether the problem is mid-tendon or at the attachment, assesses grip strength deficits and forearm endurance, and reviews the training or occupational load that has driven the problem. The rehabilitation programme uses progressive eccentric and isometric loading — the evidence base for tendon rehabilitation — rather than rest, which rarely resolves the issue long-term.
Book an Assessment, £60FAQ
Frequently asked questions
RE:UP ALTRINCHAM
Want a personalised assessment?
This guide is a starting point. For a diagnosis and a programme built specifically around your injury, book a 1:1 with our sports therapists.
Book an Assessment, £60Ask a questionALSO AT RE:UP
Combine your rehab with contrast therapy. Sauna and ice bath from £20.
View recovery sessions