Elbow pain treatment in Eindhoven

• Pain on the outside of the elbow when gripping, lifting a kettle or shaking hands: tennis elbow (lateral epicondylalgia)
• Pain on the inside of the elbow with gripping and wrist bending: golfer's elbow
• A painful, sometimes swollen point on the tip of the elbow after leaning or a knock: bursitis
• Stiffness and pain after a fall on the arm: bruised joint or capsule
• Tingling in ring and little finger with elbow pain: the ulnar nerve ('funny bone') may be irritated

Tennis elbow is by far the most common: up to three percent of adults get it in any year, most of them between 35 and 55, and the vast majority never touched a racket.

The extensor tendons of your forearm anchor at the outside of the elbow and work every time you grip, type or twist. Repeated load above their capacity irritates the tendon attachment, and everyday gripping becomes painful.

• Intensive keyboard and mouse work, the top cause among our patients
• A burst of DIY: screwdrivers, painting, assembling furniture after a move
• Racket sports and climbing, with technique and grip size as factors
• A sudden increase in gym pulling exercises
• Age: tendon tissue above 35 tolerates peaks less forgivingly

Honest answer: months rather than weeks. With a proper loading programme most people are clearly better within three months, and the large majority is symptom-free within a year. Without addressing the load, tennis elbow is notorious for dragging on and returning.

The counterintuitive truth: rest makes it worse. An unloaded tendon loses capacity, so the pain returns at an even lower threshold. Progressive training of the tendon is the evidence-based way out.

• Spread gripping load through the day; alternate tasks instead of finishing all typing in one block
• Lift with your palm up where possible, this unloads the irritated tendons
• Check your mouse and keyboard position: forearm supported, wrist straight
• Keep using the arm normally for light tasks, avoid only the sharp pain peaks
• A counterforce brace just below the elbow can ease work and sport, as support, not solution

After confirming the diagnosis with specific tests, and ultrasound imaging when the picture is unclear, your plan combines:

• A progressive tendon loading programme: from isometric holds to heavy slow resistance, the core of modern tennis elbow treatment
• Dry needling of the overloaded forearm muscles for pain relief
• Manual therapy of elbow, wrist and neck, which often contribute
• Workstation and technique advice to remove the cause
• Taping or bracing to keep you working and playing during recovery

After a fall we work the other way around: first restoring the elbow's mobility early and safely, because a stiff elbow is much harder to fix than a painful one, then rebuilding strength.

• A deformed elbow or inability to bend or straighten at all after a fall
• A hot, red, swollen elbow tip with fever (an infected bursa needs a doctor)
• Rapidly increasing tingling or weakness in the hand

Otherwise, come directly to us, no referral needed.