Identifying and Treating Pickleball Elbow (Tennis Elbow)
- Logan Georgeson, DC
- Oct 1
- 2 min read
The rise of Pickleball has gotten young and old to the court for regular matches, and this increased activity has led to a significant rise in an old familiar injury - Tendinitis. Once referred to as Tennis Elbow, Pickleball Elbow has fully entered the rehab and recovery lexicon.
At our practice we see the injury frequently, and have developed a multifaceted approach to treating Pickleball Elbow to get you back on the court faster.
First, to understand the healing process, we need to understand the injury. Pickleball Elbow is identified as a severe pain on the outside of the elbow that worsens with activity and gets temporarily better with rest and ice. With overuse, such as in several weekly Pickleball games, the wrist extensors in the elbow become irritated. The tendon becomes inflamed and can even tear, causing pain with movement. The nature of this injury means it can take several weeks to kick. Not only are you using these tendons and muscles for Pickleball, but in daily work as well.
Treating Pickleball Elbow
Because we constantly use our arms, elbows, and wrists, Pickleball Elbow can take significant time to heal. We aim to speed up the process with a comprehensive treatment plan.
Chiropractic - First we address the joint with chiropractic manipulation. This sets all the components in the right place so that they can move freely throughout recovery.
Shockwave Therapy - Next we aim for the tendon with shockwave therapy, which uses sound waves to encourage blood flow in the elbow to promote healing and reduce pain. Shockwave stimulates the tenosites, the stem cells in the area to repair the tendon. Shockwave is highly regarded for being a non-invasive, cost-effective, and speedy treatment for pain relief.
Dry Needling - We want the muscles around the tendon to relax and not pull through recovery. Dry needling uses thin needles at trigger points in the muscle, and when paired with electric stim it works to relieve tension and alleviate pain in the affected area.
Strength Training - The final step to get you back on the Pickleball court is to strengthen the elbow with targeted rehab exercises. This allows you to move forward with confidence and protect the hard work you’ve put into healing your injury.
All of these treatments are done in house at Peak Performance, offering you a one-stop-shop on the road to recovery from Pickleball Elbow.