Tennis elbow exercises
The five-exercise program I give clients with lateral elbow tendinopathy, with the dosing that makes it work. Free, and yours to start today.
Tennis elbow is not really inflammation, which is why anti-inflammatories and rest so often disappoint. The tendon on the outside of the elbow has been overloaded and has changed structurally, and the thing that reverses that is careful, progressive load.
That is what the exercises below are for. Slow, heavy-ish, unglamorous, and done often enough to matter.
Five exercises, three or four times a week
Work through them in order. Start at the lighter end of every range and build from there.
Wrist flexor stretch
Hold 30 seconds · 3 times each sideStraighten your arm in front of you, palm down. With the other hand, press gently on the back of your hand until you feel a pull along the top of the forearm. It should stretch, not sting.
Eccentric wrist curls
3 sets of 10 · slow, 3 seconds downRest your forearm on a table, palm down, holding a light weight of one or two pounds. Lower the wrist over three slow seconds, then use your other hand to lift it back. The slow lowering is the part that heals the tendon — do not rush it.
Forearm rotation
3 sets of 12 · controlled both waysHold a light weight or a hammer by the handle and turn the palm slowly up and then down, keeping the elbow still. Controlled rotation trains the forearm the way daily life actually loads it.
Grip strengthening
3 sets of 10 · squeeze 5 secondsSqueeze a therapy or stress ball for five seconds and release. Grip strength is usually the first thing tennis elbow takes and the last thing to come back, so this one stays in the program a while.
Soft-tissue work at the elbow
1 to 2 minutes · gentle pressureRoll a massage ball slowly over the muscle just below the outside of the elbow — not on the bone itself. This makes the loading exercises more comfortable; it is not a treatment on its own.
How to use the program
- Three or four sessions a week is enough — tendons need the days in between
- Discomfort during the exercise is acceptable; sharp pain is not
- Soreness should settle within 24 hours. If it is still worse the next evening, reduce the weight
- Keep going for at least six to eight weeks; tendons change slowly
- Do not stop using the arm altogether — total rest makes a tendon weaker, not better
Don’t push through these
Educational only; not a substitute for individualized care.
Questions people ask about tennis elbow
Still unsure? A free 20-minute phone consult answers the rest.
How long does tennis elbow take to settle?
Most people feel a meaningful change within six to twelve weeks of consistent loading, and the stubborn cases take longer. What predicts recovery is not the starting pain level but whether the loading is kept up.
Do I need a brace or a strap?
A counterforce strap can take the edge off while you work or play, and some people find it useful in the early weeks. It does not treat the tendon, so it belongs alongside the exercises rather than instead of them.
Should I stop playing tennis or lifting?
Usually not entirely. Reducing the load or changing technique for a few weeks tends to work better than stopping, because the tendon needs some load to remodel. Which change is the right one depends on what you are doing to it.
When should I come in rather than keep doing this at home?
If six weeks of consistent work has not changed anything, if the pain is spreading into the hand or forearm, or if your grip is clearly weakening, it is worth having the elbow looked at properly. Tennis elbow is also mimicked by neck and nerve problems, and those need a different plan.
Six weeks in and no change?
That is the point where a proper evaluation saves months. Sometimes the elbow needs dry needling to let the forearm muscles go before loading can work; sometimes the problem was never the elbow. Either way, one 80-minute visit will tell you which.
Medically reviewed by Dr. Lee · Updated September 2026
Let’s get you back to what you love.
Whether that’s a full night’s sleep, the garden or the pickleball court, recovery starts with one uninterrupted 80-minute visit: evaluation and treatment the same day, and a clear plan before you leave. Not sure yet? Start with a free 20-minute phone consult.