Tennis elbow treatment in Austin, TX.
Sore on the outside of the elbow when you grip, lift, or swing. Shaking hands hurts. Opening jars hurts. It is tendon overload, and it is one of the most fixable problems we see.
About tennis elbow.
Tennis elbow is pain on the bony bump on the outside of the elbow, where the wrist extensor tendons attach. Despite the name, most cases come from gripping and wrist work, not tennis: pickleball, lifting, manual work, even prolonged mouse use. The tendon gets loaded beyond its capacity and becomes painful with gripping, lifting, and wrist extension.
The classic test is simple. Straighten your arm, palm down, and bend the wrist down with the other hand. If that reproduces your outer elbow pain, the extensor tendon is the driver. A deeper ache in the forearm muscle itself, present even at rest, points to a related but different problem that needs its own plan.
Here is what most people get wrong: they rest it completely, or they get a brace and hope. Tendons do not heal with rest. They remodel with progressive loading. The brace can help symptoms short term, but the fix is rebuilding the tendon's capacity through dosed grip and wrist loading.
Not sure what is going on? Try our symptom checker for an educated guess in 60 seconds, or skip straight to a free 15-minute phone screen.
What is usually behind it.
Grip overload
Pickleball paddles, weights, tools, or manual work that exceeded what the extensor tendon could handle. Volume is the usual culprit.
Technique and equipment
Death-gripping a paddle, a too-heavy racquet, or poor mechanics multiply the load on a small tendon.
Wrist extensor weakness
The tendon takes the hit when the muscle behind it is undertrained. Strengthening the wrist extensors protects the tendon.
Abrupt activity changes
New sport, new job demands, or a sudden return after time off. Tendons adapt slower than enthusiasm.
Forearm muscle irritation
A deeper ache in the muscle belly rather than the bony point. Related but different, and it needs its own approach.
Nerve involvement
Less common. Pain with specific nerve tension patterns needs proper testing to separate from tendon pain.
Tennis elbow care at Forever Forward.
Every plan starts with a full one-on-one assessment. No aides, no hand-offs, no 15-minute sessions. We find what is driving the problem, not just where it hurts, then build your plan around it.
Confirm the driver
A full hour, one-on-one. We test the extensor tendon specifically and rule out the deeper forearm and nerve patterns that mimic it.
Load the tendon
Progressive grip and wrist extensor loading, dosed precisely. Enough to remodel the tendon, not so much it flares. This is the part most people never get.
Fix the cause
Grip technique, paddle setup, training volume, workstation. We address what overloaded it so it does not come back the next season.
What the $99 assessment looks like.
A full hour with Mark, one-on-one. Thorough assessment, clear diagnosis in plain language, and one clear recommendation for what to do next. If you do not love your first visit, your $99 is refunded. No referral needed to start in Texas.
Cash pricing is published right on our site: evaluation $225, visits $175, with package discounts. We are in-network with Medicare and Blue Cross Blue Shield, and veterans save 20 percent on cash-pay care.
Straight answers.
Why does my elbow hurt after playing pickleball?
Pickleball is grip-intensive: every shot loads the wrist extensors through the paddle. More sessions, harder grips, or a new paddle can push the tendon past its capacity. It is the most common overuse injury we see in new pickleball players.
Will a brace fix my tennis elbow?
A counterforce brace can reduce symptoms during activity, but it does not rebuild the tendon. Think of it as a tool that lets you stay active while the loading program does the real work.
Do I need a cortisone shot?
Injections can quiet pain short term, but the evidence for lasting benefit is weak, and repeated shots can weaken tendon tissue. Progressive loading has the better long-term track record.
How long does tennis elbow take to heal?
With proper loading, most cases improve steadily over 6 to 12 weeks. Cases that have lingered for months usually just never got the right loading program.
Patients rate us 5 stars.
Read our Google reviews to see what one-on-one care feels like, then come see for yourself with the $99 assessment.
Stop guessing. Get assessed.
Start with the $99 New Patient Movement Assessment, backed by our love-your-first-visit guarantee. Not sure PT is right for you? Call for a free 15-minute phone screen first.