What is Tennis Elbow?
Tennis elbow is the common name for pain near the side of your elbow, where the tendons of your forearm muscles attach to the bony knob on the outside of the elbow. The pain may spread into your forearm and even your wrist. It may hurt when you extend your wrist (bend it back), make a fist, straighten your fingers, or try to grip objects, such as a coffee cup. Your forearm may also be weakened.

Tennis Elbow Massage
One of the best things you can do to heal tennis elbow is self-massage. Luckily, it's very easy to massage your own elbow. There are two very specific kinds of massage that will help you heal your tennis elbow: friction massage and trigger point massage.

Friction Massage
The first is called "friction massage" or "cross-fiber-friction." Using your thumb, rub back and forth perpendicularly over (cross-wise to) the tendon, at the point where it hurts the most. Your pressure should be fairly gentle, causing slight discomfort but not actual pain. Do this until the discomfort lessens, and then increase the pressure to bring it back to a level of slight discomfort. Repeat this process two more times, for a total of about three to five minutes. If the discomfort doesn’t get better--if it just stays at the same level--hold off on this technique until the tendon heals a bit more. Try it again later.

Trigger Point Massage
The second method is trigger point therapy. Trigger points are hyper-tense, hyper-irritable/painful spots within a muscle. (Learn more about trigger points and trigger point therapy here.

Trigger points refer pain to other points in the muscle--or sometimes even to different muscles. Trigger points can definitely cause or contribute to the pain of tennis elbow.

To find trigger points, probe with your fingers to find extremely tender spots. Treat them by holding pressure on them for up to a minute, or until the pain retreats significantly. Alternatively, you can perform ten to twelve short, deep massage strokes at the point of the pain. Then stretch the muscle and put some warmth on it. Treat several times during the day until you can no longer find the trigger point.

There are two places to look for and treat trigger points that can refer pain to the outside of the elbow.

• Forearm Trigger Points
  Find the knob of bone on the outside of your elbow. You'll be exploring for trigger points anywhere in your forearm between this knob and a few inches south, toward your wrist.

  Probe gently with a thumb or finger, searching for painful spots. Treat as described above.

• Front Side of Neck Trigger Points (Scalene Muscles)
  Trigger points in the muscles at the front-side of your neck--the scalenes--can refer pain to the elbow area of the forearm. The scalenes are in the area of your neck that is above your collar bone, in front of the big trapezius muscle that sits at the top of your shoulder, and to the outside of the big muscle at the front of your neck.

  Place the flat pads of your finger tips within this triangle, using a fairly broad or circular pressure to gently explore for tender spots. Don't press too hard--trigger points in the scalenes can be very, very sore. Treat as described above.

  There's no danger of pressing on a blood vessel if you're within this triangle, but if you get off track and feel a strong pulse, simply move your fingers. As long as you stay away from the front of your neck, you should be fine.

Do not perform tennis elbow massage over broken skin or areas of reduced sensation, or if it conflicts with the advice of your medical professional.

More Effective Self-Care Ideas for Tennis Elbow
Besides tennis elbow massage, learn what you can do for tennis elbow at my main tennis elbow page.

When to See a Doctor
You should see your doctor if the pain persists for over a week in spite of tennis elbow massage and other self-treatment. See your medical doctor immediately if you can't bend your elbow; your elbow is hot, swollen, and you have a fever; if your elbow looks mis-shapen; or if you think you may have broken a bone or have an infection in your arm.

I wish you ease and comfort in your arms and elbows, and I am confident that you will be able to help yourself feel better.

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