Tennis and golfer's elbow

For pain on the outside or inside of the elbow from gripping, lifting, typing or a racquet. We work on the forearm, the grip and the tendon, alongside your physician or hand therapist.

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Read through

BothWesternClassical

Two lenses, one plan

Wood 木 is the phase it is most often read through. Here the Western lens leads, with the classical lens alongside.

The Western lensAnatomy, physiology, biomechanics

Tendon, muscle and nerve at the elbow

The common extensor tendon anchors the wrist and finger extensors on the outer elbow; the common flexor tendon does the same for the flexors on the inner side. Repeated gripping, especially with the wrist bent back, loads them beyond what they recover from between uses.

The short radial extensor: The extensor carpi radialis brevis is the tendon most often involved in tennis elbow. Its muscle belly in the upper forearm often carries trigger points that refer pain to the outer elbow.
Radial tunnel: The radial nerve passes through the muscles just below the outer elbow. When it is squeezed there, the ache sits a little lower than tennis elbow and grip can feel weak.
Ulnar nerve on the inside: Golfer's elbow sits next to the ulnar nerve, the funny bone. Tingling into the ring and little fingers points to the nerve rather than the tendon.

The classical lensChannels, patterns, the five phases

Elbow taxation, 肘勞

The classics read repetitive strain as taxation: steady overuse that drains the blood feeding the sinews in one place, so the area stiffens and stagnation settles in.

Which channel: The outer elbow sits on the Large Intestine channel and the inner elbow on the Heart and Small Intestine side, which guides the choice of distal points.
Opposite arm, same tissue: Master Tung's correspondences use the opposite arm, and tendon-like regions of the leg, to treat a tendon, while you move the sore elbow.

Patterns we often see

Blood failing to nourish the sinews xuè bù yǎng jīn 血不養筋
Qi stagnation and blood stasis at the elbow qì zhì xuè yū 氣滯血瘀
Wind, cold and damp in the arm channels fēng hán shī bì 風寒濕痹

Patterns are examples of how this is often read, never a diagnosis. Yours is read at your visit.

How we work: one plan

Master Tung's points on the opposite arm or the leg when the tendon is very sore, then dry needling and orthopedic acupuncture of the forearm and neck, Active Release Techniques along the forearm and nerve paths, functional movement work on grip and wrist position, and electro-acupuncture where a muscle needs steadier input. One plan, one visit, one practitioner.

What tennis and golfer's elbow are

Tennis elbow, lateral epicondylitis, is pain where the wrist and finger extensors anchor on the outside of the elbow. Golfer's elbow, medial epicondylitis, is the same story on the inside, where the flexors that grip and curl the wrist attach. Despite the names, most people who have them do not play either sport: carpenters, mechanics, lifters, parents carrying car seats and anyone with a mouse in hand all day are familiar faces. The tendon is usually less inflamed than overloaded and slow to remodel, which is part of why it lingers. Conventional care includes bracing, activity changes, exercise and sometimes injections.

Grip, wrist and the neck above

The elbow tendon takes the load the forearm hands it. A tight grip held for hours, a wrist that cocks back to type, or a lift done with the wrist bent all concentrate strain at the attachment. The forearm muscles take their nerve supply from the neck, so stiffness there is screened too, and the radial nerve, which runs past the outer elbow, can mimic tennis elbow when it is squeezed. Sorting tendon from nerve is the first job.

How we work with it

When the tendon is very sore, the work starts away from it: Master Tung's points on the opposite arm and on the leg, chosen by correspondence, while you open and close the painful hand. As it settles, dry needling and orthopedic acupuncture of the forearm muscles, Active Release Techniques along the forearm, and functional movement work on grip and wrist position. Electro-acupuncture is added where a muscle needs steadier input.

Grip strength and the movement that hurts most, such as lifting a mug or turning a key, are rechecked each visit.

Questions people ask

Can acupuncture help tennis elbow?

Acupuncture and dry needling are commonly used for tennis elbow, and it has been studied as a conservative option. We combine needling with forearm release and loading work, and we look at the grip habits that keep re-straining the tendon.

Why do you needle my other arm?

When the elbow is too tender, mirror-image points on the opposite arm, and distal points on the leg, let us work without irritating the sore tendon. You can move the painful elbow while those needles are in.

Do I need to stop working out or using the computer?

Rarely completely. We look at which grips, lifts or mouse positions provoke it and change those, so the tendon gets a manageable load instead of none.

What if my fingers tingle too?

Tingling or numbness points toward a nerve, either at the elbow, the wrist or the neck, rather than the tendon alone. We screen for it, and a physician should check weakness or numbness that keeps spreading.

From the journal

Does acupuncture help tennis elbow in Oceanside?Motor-point needling and ART manual therapy target the forearm extensor tendon and surrounding musculature involved in tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis), alongside an assessment of grip and wrist mechanics.

This is general wellness information, not medical advice.

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