Massage for Tennis Elbow: Does It Really Work?

Spoiler: Yes — If You Treat the Right Area

Tennis elbow sounds like something only athletes get — but most people who come into our clinic with it have never picked up a racket.

It’s not just a sports injury.

It’s a repetitive strain injury — and it can hit anyone who grips, types, lifts, or moves in a way that overloads the forearm muscles.

Typing at a desk?

Doing curls at the gym?

Using a screwdriver all day?

That constant tension builds up, and before you know it — your elbow is on fire.

What Is Tennis Elbow?

Technically called lateral epicondylitis, tennis elbow is inflammation or degeneration of the tendon that connects your forearm extensor muscles to the outside of your elbow.

Symptoms:

• Burning or sharp pain on the outer elbow

• Weak grip strength

• Pain when lifting, twisting, or even shaking hands

And no — resting it for a few days doesn’t fix the real issue.

How Massage Helps Tennis Elbow

At Andrea’s Touch, we don’t just rub your elbow and hope for the best.

We work on the source of the tension — the forearm muscles that are pulling on the tendon and creating that pain.

Here’s what we do:

• Deep tissue to release the overused wrist and finger extensors

• Trigger point therapy to target stubborn knots in the forearm

• Cross-fiber friction to help realign the irritated tendon

• Mobilisation of the elbow and wrist to restore function

• Improve circulation to accelerate healing

What Massage Can’t Do

Massage won’t fix everything in one session.

But it gives your body what it needs to start healing:

reduced tension, restored movement, and better blood flow.

If you keep training or working through the pain without addressing the underlying cause — you’re just hitting repeat on the same injury.

Final Thought

So… does massage work for tennis elbow?

Yes — if it’s done right, by someone who understands the mechanics.

If your elbow’s been bothering you for weeks (or months), don’t wait.

Book your session at Andrea’s Touch and let’s fix the tension before it turns into something worse.