07/29/2026
PSA: Tennis elbow might be contagious. 🎾😅
At least that’s the office joke — every spring & summer when golf and racket season kicks off, the elbow tendinopathies start rolling in. (You can’t actually catch it… probably. 😉)
Jokes aside, “tennis elbow” is one of the most misunderstood tendon problems we treat. Here’s what the evidence says 👇
❌ It’s not “tendonitis.” Not inflammation, not wear and tear — it’s a change in how the tendon functions. That’s why anti-inflammatories barely help and why it lingers when you treat it like a quick fix.
⏱️ Healing takes months, not weeks. Pain settles before the tendon’s truly ready — which is exactly why it comes back. Slowly slowly wins the race. 🐢
🏋️ Load is the medicine. Not too much, not too little. And the activity that flared you up won’t build the strength to fix it — targeted, progressive loading does. No force plates required.
🩻 You probably don’t need a scan. Imaging often doesn’t match symptoms — plenty of people have abnormal-looking tendons and zero pain. We scan only when the picture doesn’t add up.
💉 Injections, shockwave? Adjuncts, not replacements. Research now favours PRP over cortisone — but nothing rebuilds a tendon without load.
🧠 Chronic pain is bigger than the elbow. Inflammation, sleep, stress and hormones all shape how you heal. Whole person, not just the elbow.
This is where a team matters. Physio to guide your loading, RMT for some active release and manual therapy, chiropractic with Graston — and our dietitian when the inflammatory side needs support. A plan built for your tendon, not a generic stretch-and-wait. 💚
📍 Restorative Whole Health | Okotoks
Tendon pain that won’t quit? Link in bio to book.
