Clinical content drawn from Dr. Loredo's tennis elbow condition page · Published 2026-09-30
This one-minute video explains tennis elbow: wear and tear in the tendon on the outside of the elbow, the three warning signs worth acting on, and how treatment moves from activity changes, a forearm brace and hand therapy to surgery, when needed.
Full transcript
Spoken by Sarah, Dr. Loredo's AI education assistant.
Elbow pain when you grip a mug? Hi, I'm Sarah, Dr. Loredo's AI education assistant.
That may be tennis elbow: wear and tear in the tendon on the outside of the elbow. Most people who get it never play tennis.
Three warning signs. Pain at the bony bump on the outer elbow.
Pain when you shake hands or lift with your palm down. And pain that builds slowly over weeks.
Most cases improve with activity changes, a forearm brace, and hand therapy exercises.
If symptoms last six to twelve months despite that care, surgery, when needed, is scheduled at the first available opening.
Call (972) 939-4974, or start your forms at loredohand.com. New patients are seen within days.
Questions patients ask
What is tennis elbow?
Tennis elbow, or lateral epicondylitis, is a degenerative tendinopathy of the common extensor tendon at the outside of the elbow. The hallmark presentation is pain at the bony bump on the outer elbow that worsens with gripping, lifting with the palm down, or shaking hands. It is an overuse condition, and fewer than 10 percent of patients with tennis elbow actually play tennis.
What are the warning signs of tennis elbow?
Pain at the bony bump on the outside of the elbow. Pain on shaking hands, lifting a coffee mug, or turning a doorknob, and pain when lifting an object with the palm facing down. Symptoms that worsen gradually over weeks to months without a single clear injury. Pain that radiates down the back of the forearm toward the wrist can also occur.
How is tennis elbow treated?
Most cases improve with activity modification, a counterforce forearm brace, and targeted physical therapy with a hand therapist, with roughly 80 percent resolving within 6 to 12 months of consistent conservative care. When symptoms persist beyond 6 to 12 months despite structured conservative treatment, options include corticosteroid injection, platelet-rich plasma injection, or surgical release of the affected tendon origin. Surgery, when needed, is scheduled at the first available opening after your evaluation.
Who treats tennis elbow near Southlake and Dallas-Fort Worth?
Dr. Pedro Loredo, MD, board-certified in General Surgery (American Board of Surgery) and Hand Surgery (American Board of Plastic Surgery), at Loredo Hand Care Institute, 431 E State Hwy 114, Suite 380, Southlake, TX 76092. The practice serves Southlake, Grapevine, Colleyville, Keller, Hurst, Bedford, Euless, North Richland Hills, Dallas and Fort Worth. New patients are seen within days. Call (972) 939-4974. Se habla español.
Read the full tennis elbow condition page · Tennis elbow vs golfer's elbow
If this sounds like your elbow
Call Loredo Hand Care Institute or start your forms online. New patients are seen within days; surgery, when needed, is scheduled at the first available opening. Se habla español.