How To Wear A Tennis Elbow Brace Placement And How It Works

  references
  
      Mayo Clinic: "Tennis elbow"
    
      American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: "Tennis Elbow: (Lateral Epicondylitis)"
    
      Cleveland Clinic: "Tennis Elbow (Lateral Epicondylitis)"
    
      Cedars-Sinai Kerlan-Jobe Institute: "Bracing Yourself…For Tennis Elbow"
    
      Prosthetics and Orthotics International: "The effects of counterforce brace on pain in subjects with lateral elbow tendinopathy: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials"
    
      Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery: "Counterforce bracing of lateral epicondylitis: a prospective, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial"

Is this an emergency? If you are experiencing serious medical symptoms, please see the National Library of Medicine’s list of signs you need emergency medical attention or call 911.

If you're experiencing tennis elbow, wearing a quality brace, along with stretching, is an effective treatment that can help ease the pain.

Image Credit: Vudhikul Ocharoen/iStock/GettyImages

Studies point to the merits of using a tennis brace. For instance, a February 2019 study in Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery found that counterforce braces may reduce pain in the short term (from 2 to 12 weeks) and may improve overall function in the long term (26 weeks). And, while physiotherapy interventions may lead to better results, counterforce braces “[are] a reasonable strategy to alleviate pain over the short term,” per a meta-analysis of 17 studies published in July 2020 in the journal Prosthetics and Orthotics International.

For instance, a February 2019 study in Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery found that counterforce braces may reduce pain in the short term (from 2 to 12 weeks) and may improve overall function in the long term (26 weeks).

And, while physiotherapy interventions may lead to better results, counterforce braces “[are] a reasonable strategy to alleviate pain over the short term,” per a meta-analysis of 17 studies published in July 2020 in the journal Prosthetics and Orthotics International.

The tennis elbow strap should sit about one inch below your elbow. Place the pressure pad directly over the sore spot and tighten until it feels snug yet comfortable.

For tennis players – and other athletes — improperly fitted equipment could increase your risk of developing tennis elbow, according to AAOS. A racquet with a smaller head may help. Or use a stiffer racquet that’s strung more loosely, per AAOS.

      Mayo Clinic: "Tennis elbow"
    
      American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: "Tennis Elbow: (Lateral Epicondylitis)"
    
      Cleveland Clinic: "Tennis Elbow (Lateral Epicondylitis)"
    
      Cedars-Sinai Kerlan-Jobe Institute: "Bracing Yourself…For Tennis Elbow"
    
      Prosthetics and Orthotics International: "The effects of counterforce brace on pain in subjects with lateral elbow tendinopathy: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials"
    
      Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery: "Counterforce bracing of lateral epicondylitis: a prospective, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial"