The Truth About Tennis Elbow (WHAT REALLY CAUSES IT!)

Eliminate tennis elbow for good by training like an athlete here

Tennis elbow is definitely one of the most common orthopedic sources of pain that can crush your ability to effectively workout let alone get through your day. The problem with tennis elbow, or lateral epicondylitis as it is more formerly known, is that the cure and treatment for it are often misguided. In this video, I show you the real cause of tennis elbow and where you should be looking if you want to learn how to fix it once and for all.

The first thing you have to realize is that the cause of pain is very seldom coming from the actual place that you are hurting! In the case of tennis elbow, the source of your symptoms is almost always going to be somewhere other than in your elbow. Just like in the knee, the elbow is a hinge joint with very little motion. Its function is dictated by the biomechanics available in the more mobile joints above and below it (the shoulder and wrist in this case).

If you want to fix tennis elbow once and for all you are going to need to start evaluating some of the possible deficiencies that you have in either your shoulder, forearm or wrist. I show you how weakness in the muscles on the opposite side of the forearm (your flexor/pronator group) can cause a compensatory chronic overactivity of the muscles on the top of your forearm. This causes tendonitis and inflammation that leads to the pain you normally associate with tennis elbow.

You can see however, if all you did was treat the symptoms without focusing on the weakness in the flexors you would never truly get rid of the lateral epicondylitis pain for good. If you want to know how to cure tennis elbow and start doing effective treatment or rehab for it you will have to figure out the real cause of the problem.

Additional causes are discussed including a lack of eccentric control of the muscles in the shoulder, especially when throwing. If you lack control of the scapular stabilizers or shoulder muscles themselves then your wrist extensors are going to have to work on overtime to pick up the slack for the weak muscles. This will again cause tennis elbow and unless you stop doing the traditional tennis elbow exercises and address this real source, you won’t ever treat the problem.

[artymunoz]

When I first started this video I didn't know what was wrong with my elbow.
And now I still don't know what's wrong with my elbow and possibly what could be wrong with something else in my body.

[guitarsleep]

Such a nice guy. straight to the point, doesnt knock you for getting injured in the first place, just knowledgeable and helpful

[joevanwyk]

I'm glad someone finally confirmed my suspicions, Now I can pay closer attention to the other parts/movements than the elbow itself.. Thanks!

[FA-tzoc]

Thank you for the insight of arm movement and what to work on to avoid my son arm getting hurt🙏

[Mudgey]

I sometimes get this in my right elbow. I recently recorded myself from behind doing some different dumbbell raises and noticed my right scapula drifts forward due to an under active trap/ rhomboid so now I'm doing strengthening work on that.
Keep up the good work Jeff.

[jackala]

Yep. I just got tennis on my left arm. Had it on my right arm about 3 years ago and took almost 1.5 years to heal. I really wish someone would do a video on exercises to avoid during a workout so not to prolong the injury. There are so many trains of thought, not really sure what to do.

[sextascy]

Wow, this advice has done wonders for my tennis elbow. I started just flexing my lower/inner forearm and felt immediate relief. Thank you.

[eileenprasnal]

I was so amazed by this video, it really makes sense after all that money I spent on PT and on my Orthopedic. Thank you so much for the education.

[bigjayfitness]

this guy must do very very well. Personal trainer + certified sports therapist + successful youtube channel with huge following + programs/services/website = big bucks

[glenfarina]

I had it bad in both arms for about 6 months. It’s caused by snapping your arms straight at the bottom of a curl, or bottom of a pull-up or at the top of a push up. Fixed it with ice, rest and massage. I learned to control the weight at the bottom of the curl and it hasn’t come back in 10 years.

[allang]

Thank you Jeff, you are so so right. I did some rounded shoulder exercises & I immediately felt relief in my forearm. Wow, thank you. No more massaging my forearm.

[erin]

Jeff... you have been my savior recently. Everything you're sharing is spot-on for my pain issues. I am no athlete, just a 45yo women trying to start taking care of my body. I've been doing yoga for a year now and recently have been having nearly debilitating pain on the outside of my elbow. Strangely, it's severely triggered when I settle in to go to sleep, with my elbow bent at 90 degrees, hand up by my head, palm face-up. It is always super sore when I wake up and I couldn't (still can't quite) imagine how my bed/sleeping position could be contributing. BUT, after watching this video, I'm compelled to look more at the planks and downward dogs I'm doing in my daily yoga. I'm also a computer programmer so I'm constantly on my laptop. Makes a lot more sense now. Thank you!!

[LibertyGarden]

Wow! After this video, I realized that it's my freaking arm rest on my office chair that's rolling my shoulder and causing my right elbow pain.

[cecchinuzzo]

Can't thank you enough Jeff. This video helped me overcome my tennis elbow by like 95%. I could barely close my grip on something or hold something in my hand because of the elbow pain. After seeing this video and over the past 3 months I have been focusing on working my forearms gradually and initially the pain was unbearable. Week after week the pain became less until now I can say that I regained like 95% of my elbow health. A big thank you for the effort and help!

[sayitisntso]

I've had tennis elbow for the past three months. My physio has given me acupuncture and deep massage, yet the pain is still there. After watching this video I've noticed a click in my shoulder. I have changed my posture and the pain is less intense at my elbow. Your video has given me hope that the pain will go away and I can get back into full training again. Thank you AthleanX.

[unopachuno]

I have to say I have watched so many videos about tennis elbow and forearm issues and shoulder pain and this is the only video that make sense!!!! Thank you!

[stuartcohen]

Hey Jeff,
Thank you for bringing the science to your videos. Very much appreciated. You mentioned not wearing elbow braces to counteract the pains of tennis elbow. Can I ask what the red band is that you've been wearing on your right writst? Thank you.
A Loyal Athlean-Xer,
Stuart

[tomodwyer]

ATHLEAN-X™
Thanks Jeff! Great vid :) can I ask why are you wearing that wrist band??

[scottwisniewski]

Makes a lot of sense to me. I gave up on the other videos, they only provided temporary relief until I began my next workout, and then my elbow AND forearm began to hurt all over again.. Thank you Jeff....

[oskarcajus]

This is awesome, thank you so much. I've been having strong pains in my elbows from climbing, and I actually do have a posture problem that very well could be the issue.