Tennis Elbow: Symptoms, the Maudsley’s Test, and Eccentric Exercises That Work

The best exercises and therapies for tennis elbow, demonstrated by a chiropractor with over 24 years of clinical experience — including two eccentric strengthening exercises that are especially effective for tendon injuries and rarely shown elsewhere.

Tennis elbow is pain around the outside of the elbow, and it’s very common — thought to affect around one in three people at any given time. It flares up when lifting, gripping small objects like a pen, opening a jar or door, or even pouring a cup of tea. Despite the name, only about 5% of cases come from racket sports; the vast majority are repetitive overuse injuries — bricklaying, plumbing, painting, gardening, or long hours on a computer mouse.

Our chiropractor Jasper Hulscher covers the symptoms and causes, a self-test (Maudsley’s test), a forearm stretch, and the two key eccentric strengthening exercises for the tendon. He then runs through self-care that genuinely helps — ice therapy, cross-friction, a tennis-elbow strap (and how to position it), and switching to an ergonomic mouse — plus shockwave therapy and supportive supplements.

The core message: tennis elbow is a tendon injury, so it needs rest from the aggravating activity plus the right loading to heal.

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[00:00] What it is — pain around the outside of the elbow, affecting around one in three people at any given time.

[00:37] Symptoms — pain when lifting, bending the arm, gripping small objects (a pen), opening a jar or door, or pouring a drink.

[01:18] Causes — despite the name, only ~5% come from racket sports; most are repetitive overuse (bricklaying, plumbing, painting, gardening, computer-mouse use).

[01:56] Maudsley’s test — straighten the elbow, wrist, and fingers, then resist downward pressure on the middle finger; pain in the elbow/forearm is a positive test.

[03:38] Stretch + two eccentric exercises — a forearm stretch, then eccentric strengthening (slowly lowering under load, using the other hand to return): one with a resistance band on a door handle, one lowering a weight over a table edge. 10 reps, three sets, progressing sets or weight. Eccentric loading is particularly effective for tendon injuries.

[06:35] Self-care therapies — ice therapy (circular motion, ~5 min, several times daily), cross-friction across the tendon, a tennis-elbow strap positioned on the muscle belly (not the tendon), and an ergonomic mouse to reduce forearm strain.

[10:33] Shockwave therapy — breaks down adhesions and boosts blood supply to the tendon; research suggests around a 70% pain reduction over 7–9 treatments, especially combined with the eccentric exercises.

[11:15] Supportive supplements — omega-3 fish oil, curcumin (turmeric), and zinc, discussed for reducing inflammation (check with a professional first).

Tennis elbow is pain around the outside of the elbow and is very common — thought to affect around one in three people at any given time. It flares with lifting, gripping, and everyday tasks like opening a jar or pouring a drink. Despite the name, only about 5% of cases come from racket sports; most are repetitive overuse injuries from work or hobbies, including heavy computer-mouse use. This video shows how to confirm it (Maudsley’s test), a forearm stretch, and — most importantly — two eccentric strengthening exercises, where the tendon is loaded slowly on the lowering phase (using the other hand to return the weight). Eccentric loading is a particularly effective approach for tendon injuries. It then covers self-care that genuinely helps: ice therapy, cross-friction to break down adhesions, a tennis-elbow strap positioned on the muscle belly rather than the tendon, and switching to an ergonomic mouse to reduce forearm strain. Shockwave therapy is discussed as an effective clinic option (research suggests around 70% pain reduction over 7–9 treatments, especially alongside the eccentric exercises), along with supportive anti-inflammatory supplements. Because tennis elbow is a tendon injury, the foundation is resting from the aggravating activity while loading the tendon correctly to heal. Persistent or severe elbow pain should be professionally assessed.