Tennis elbow doesn’t just happen to tennis players, but golfers and anyone who performs a repetitive arm motion—such as frequent weightlifting—can develop the problem.

Tennis elbow, or lateral epicondylitis, is an injury to the extensor carpi radialis brevis (ECRB) muscle. The ECRB is a muscle that contributes to finger and wrist extension, and with overuse can develop tears at the insertion on the outside of the elbow. These tears can lead to significant tenderness and weakness in the elbow joint.

Tennis elbow can occur in tennis players, particularly those who have a one-handed backhand, and I frequently see it in a golfer’s lead arm due to the repetitive stress the muscle experiences at impact.

Most people experiencing tennis elbow will recover and heal from the condition without surgery. Under the guidance of an experienced healthcare provider, many patients benefit from a prescribed mix of nonsurgical approaches to treating tennis elbow, such as physical therapy, avoidance of aggravating activities, taking anti-inflammatory medications and doing strengthening exercises. Still, the condition takes time to heal, up to a full year in many cases.

While healing is taking place, many patients also find relief through a tennis elbow counterforce brace. It decreases the tension on the wrist extensor muscles, which can help reduce the elbow pain and other inflammatory symptoms associated with the condition.

We use the wrist extensor muscles (ECRB included) frequently in performing activities of daily living. So, when someone experiencing tennis elbow attempts to perform movements such as driving, carrying groceries, working out and typing, it can be excruciating and further stimulate the inflammatory response. While the injury heals, an adequately applied counterforce elbow brace allows the ECRB muscle to relax during activity. The brace should be applied near the mid-forearm area. With adequate pressure, patients often will feel immediate relief when performing wrist extension motions due to the support from the brace.

I always advise my patients to look for a brace that is circular, long enough to fit around the forearm, and allows for tightening, preferably with Velcro to customize the level of support. The brace should have a pad on its inner surface that fits over the muscle belly of the ECRB. Some braces come with is a ski boot buckle-like feature that allows the brace to be tightened instead of having to release the entire brace and pulling the end of it to tighten. This feature makes it easier to get that support pad in the ideal position for the injured elbow.

Any activity that involves gripping or holding with the affected elbow can be made easier with adequate bracing. Although the brace can be worn around the clock, even during sleep, doing so is not typically recommended.

Physical therapy is an extremely important part of treatment for tennis elbow. As the inflammation calms down, strengthening exercises of the forearm and the ECRB should be performed to protect against future injury. Doing so helps patients return to the activities that incited the tennis elbow. Once those painful symptoms are finally gone, that tennis elbow brace can be removed.

The pain experienced by patients affected by tennis elbow can range from mild to severe. Especially in mild cases, when the pain is “nagging” and not preventing the functions associated with daily living, some patients will “live with it” for far longer than they should. Pain anywhere in the body, no matter how “mild,” is a sign that something is amiss and needs to be addressed. If you’re experiencing elbow pain, be sure to see a trained professional to have it evaluated. With so many conservative treatment options on the market today, a return to pain-free, active living is much closer than you think.

Read more from our sports medicine series.