Tennis Elbow Got You Sidelined?

If you've been dealing with a sharp, nagging ache on the outside of your elbow every time you grip something, swing a racket, or even shake someone's hand, you might be dealing with tennis elbow. Despite the name, you don't have to play tennis to get it. At Adair Chiropractic in North Liberty, we see this injury in weekend athletes, gardeners, construction workers, and desk workers alike. The good news is that tennis elbow responds well to the right kind of care, and you don't have to just wait it out.

What Is Tennis Elbow, Really?

Tennis elbow, known clinically as lateral epicondylitis, happens when the tendons that attach your forearm muscles to the bony bump on the outside of your elbow become irritated or develop small tears. This usually comes from repetitive gripping and wrist motion rather than a single injury.

Common tennis elbow symptoms include:

• Pain or burning on the outer elbow that can radiate into the forearm
• Weak grip strength, sometimes noticeable when lifting a coffee cup or opening a jar
• Stiffness in the morning that eases slightly with movement
• Pain that worsens with wrist extension or twisting motions

Many patients tell us the pain crept in gradually over a few weeks rather than showing up overnight. That slow onset is one reason people wait too long before getting it looked at.

Tennis Elbow vs. Golfer's Elbow

These two conditions get confused often, and understanding the difference matters for treatment. Tennis elbow affects the outside of the elbow and the muscles that extend the wrist backward. Golfer's elbow, or medial epicondylitis, affects the inside of the elbow and the muscles that flex the wrist forward. Both come from repetitive strain, and both respond to similar treatment approaches, but pinpointing which one you have helps guide the right care plan from day one.

Why Tennis Elbow Doesn't Always Heal on Its Own

Rest alone sometimes helps mild cases, but chronic or recurring tennis elbow often needs more targeted intervention. The tendon tissue involved has a naturally slow healing process because it gets limited blood flow compared to muscle tissue. Without addressing the underlying movement patterns and soft tissue restrictions causing the strain, the same aggravation tends to return as soon as you pick up a racket, a hammer, or a bag of mulch again.

This is where chiropractic care, particularly a soft-tissue-focused approach, makes a real difference.

How Chiropractic Care Treats Tennis Elbow

At Adair Chiropractic, tennis elbow treatment starts with an accurate assessment of what's actually driving your pain, whether that's the tendon itself, nerve irritation, or compensation patterns further up the arm and shoulder.

Dr. Karla Adair has been an Active Release Techniques (ART) provider since 2006, giving her more than 18 years of experience treating exactly this kind of repetitive strain injury. ART targets the specific soft tissue adhesions and nerve entrapment that keep tennis elbow from resolving, breaking up scar tissue and restoring normal movement to the forearm muscles and tendons.

Depending on your case, care may also include:

• Instrument-assisted soft tissue release to break down adhesions in the forearm
• Laser therapy to reduce inflammation and support tendon healing
• Rock Tape kinesiology taping to offload strain during daily activities
• Therapeutic exercises to rebuild strength and prevent the injury from returning
• StemWave focused shockwave therapy for more stubborn, longstanding cases

Alongside Dr. Adair, Dr. Sellers brings an exercise science background from the University of Iowa, which adds a helpful performance and rehab lens for athletes and active adults working through this kind of injury.

Tennis Elbow Exercises and Stretches You Can Start Now

While a proper evaluation is the best first step, a few gentle exercises can help in the meantime:

• Wrist extensor stretch: extend your arm, gently bend your wrist downward with your other hand, and hold for 20-30 seconds
• Fist squeezes: squeeze a soft ball for a few seconds at a time to build grip endurance without overloading the tendon
• Eccentric wrist extension: slowly lower a light weight held in your hand, focusing on the controlled lowering phase

These can ease discomfort, but they aren't a substitute for identifying and correcting the root cause, especially if pain has lasted more than a couple of weeks.

When to See a Chiropractor for Tennis Elbow

If you're in North Liberty, Coralville, Iowa City, or anywhere else in The Corridor and you've been dealing with elbow pain that hasn't improved after a week or two of rest, it's worth getting it checked. The same applies if the pain is affecting your grip strength, your sleep, or your ability to work or play the sports you enjoy.

Catching tennis elbow earlier generally means a shorter recovery. Left untreated, the compensations people develop to avoid the pain, changing how they lift, type, or swing, can create secondary issues in the wrist, shoulder, or neck.

Getting Back to What You Love

Tennis elbow can be frustrating, especially when it keeps you from the activities and work you rely on. The team at Adair Chiropractic has spent nearly two decades helping active adults throughout North Liberty and the surrounding Corridor area recover from exactly this type of injury using a hands-on, ART-based approach rather than a one-size-fits-all treatment plan.

If elbow pain has been slowing you down, schedule a visit with Adair Chiropractic today and let's figure out what's really going on and get you back to full strength.