Ultrasound Therapy for Tennis Elbow: What Athletes and Parents Should Know
Reviewed By Dr. Heidi Peters
Intro (More Than Just a Tennis Problem)
If you’ve ever had pain on the outside of your elbow after playing tennis, lifting weights, or doing repetitive gripping, you might have experienced tennis elbow. Despite the name, it’s not limited to tennis players. Anyone who does repeated wrist or forearm movements can get it.
This injury can be frustrating for athletes, especially those in competitive seasons. Pain can make it hard to grip a racket, swing with power, or even carry a backpack. The big question becomes: How can we treat it effectively and get athletes back to doing what they love?
One option many athletic trainers use to treat such injuries is ultrasound therapy. This treatment uses sound waves to help injured tissue heal. But does it really work? And is it enough on its own? Let’s break it down.
What Is Tennis Elbow?
Tennis elbow is the common name for lateral epicondylitis, a condition where the tendon that attaches to the outside of your elbow develops tiny tears. These tears usually happen because of overuse, especially in activities that involve gripping and repeated wrist extension.
Tennis players often experience this from strokes that load the extensor carpi radialis brevis (ECRB) tendon. But you don’t have to play tennis to develop it; any sport or job that involves similar motions can trigger it. Some examples include fencing, squash, and even weightlifting.
Common causes include:
- Overuse without enough rest.
- Poor technique (especially in tennis strokes).
- Improper equipment, like a racket with the wrong grip size.
- Sudden increases in training volume.
The result? Pain, inflammation, and reduced grip strength. Left untreated, it can last weeks or even months.
Ultrasound Therapy: How It Works
Therapeutic ultrasound is a noninvasive treatment in which a clinician uses a small handheld device to send sound waves into the injured area.
These sound waves produce two main effects:
- Thermal effects: Gentle heating that increases blood flow and tissue flexibility.
- Non-thermal effects: Microscopic vibrations that help reduce inflammation and stimulate healing at the cellular level.
Think of it as giving the tendon a deep “internal massage” that you can’t get from stretching or massage alone. Because it’s painless and easy to apply, ultrasound has become popular in physical therapy programs for soft tissue injuries, including tennis elbow.
What the Research Says
Several studies have tested ultrasound therapy for tennis elbow. Here’s what they found:
- Pain relief is real: Multiple studies (Yalvaç et al., 2017; Özmen et al., 2021) found that ultrasound therapy significantly reduced pain levels in people with tennis elbow, at least in the short term.
- Grip strength and function? Not always: Although ultrasound therapy provides measurable pain relief, a large meta-analysis confirmed that its impact on grip strength and long-term function was limited (Luo et al., 2022).
- Better with partner interventions:
- Eccentric exercises (slow lowering movements) paired with ultrasound led to better pain relief and function than concentric exercises alone (Misquitta & Prabhakar, 2020).
- Kinesio taping and myofascial release, alongside ultrasound, gave better grip strength outcomes than ultrasound alone.
- Shockwave therapy (ESWT) and laser therapy sometimes outperformed ultrasound for specific goals, like improving pressure pain thresholds (Hussain et al., 2024).
Bottom line from the research:
Ultrasound is a reliable tool for short-term pain relief, but for long-term recovery and strength, it needs to be part of a bigger rehab plan.
Pros and Cons of Ultrasound Therapy
Pros:
- Non-invasive and painless.
- Helps reduce pain without medication.
- It can be easily added to a rehab program.
- Safe for most athletes.
Cons:
- Limited effect on strength and function when used alone.
- May not outperform other conservative treatments.
- Works best only as part of a complete treatment plan.
Best Practices for Recovery
If you or your athlete is dealing with tennis elbow, here’s how ultrasound therapy can fit into a practical plan:
- Combine ultrasound with strengthening
Eccentric exercises, such as slowly lowering the wrist after lifting it, can help remodel the tendon and restore strength. - Add supportive techniques
Kinesio taping can provide extra stability during play, while myofascial release can help address tightness in the surrounding muscles. - Prioritize proper technique and equipment.
Make sure racket grip size and stroke mechanics are correct to prevent further strain. - Follow a structured rehab program
Work with an athletic trainer or physical therapist who understands your sport and injury. - Let pain be your guide.
Don’t rush back to competition just because the pain feels a bit better. Strength and function also need to catch up.
Key Takeaways
- Ultrasound therapy is great for short-term pain relief, but won’t fully restore grip strength or function on its own.
- Pairing it with eccentric exercises, Kinesio taping, or manual therapy produces better results.
- Alternative treatments like shockwave or laser therapy may be better for certain cases.
- The most successful recovery plans are comprehensive, sport-specific, and tailored to the individual athlete.
Final Word for Athletes and Parents
If you’re a young athlete or the parent of one, ultrasound therapy can be a helpful step toward pain relief from tennis elbow. But remember: it’s just one piece of the puzzle. The magic happens when combined with the right exercises, technique adjustments, and support strategies.
By approaching treatment as a team effort between the athlete, parents, and healthcare professionals, you can recover from tennis elbow, come back stronger, and reduce the risk of it happening again.
Comments
3 responses
Very well elaborated in simple clean words.
Article has given lot of clarity for the parents in particular who become concern on learning the problem with their ward.
A well-structured article that clearly explains how ultrasound therapy supports athletes and guides parents in ensuring timely recovery from tennis elbow—truly valuable for both players and parents.
A well-structured article that clearly explains how ultrasound therapy supports athletes and guides parents in ensuring timely recovery from tennis elbow—truly valuable for both players and parents.
Very Informative article…