Describe the load your elbow handles
Tennis elbow, also called lateral epicondylitis, involves tendons on the outside of the elbow. AAOS notes that work and recreational tasks as well as tennis can contribute. Describe gripping, twisting, lifting, tool use, or sport in enough detail for the clinician to understand the demand. Include any recent change in the amount or intensity. The label should explain your pattern of pain; it should not stop the clinician considering another cause when symptoms or the examination point elsewhere.
Sources: AAOS OrthoInfo: Tennis Elbow
Ask what supports the diagnosis
Tell the clinician where the pain starts, which movement reproduces it, and whether you have numbness, weakness, neck symptoms, or a previous injury. Ask what the examination shows and whether a test would clarify an uncertainty. You can ask, 'Are all of these symptoms likely to come from the same problem?' If you already have a scan, bring it, but ask how it fits what your arm can do. A report alone does not describe the demands of your workday.
Make activity modification specific
NHS guidance includes reducing aggravating tasks and discussing treatment when symptoms persist. Ask the clinician or therapist which part of a task to change: the grip, load, duration, repetition, or equipment. 'Rest your arm' can be hard to act on if you need it for work. Bring an example and ask whether temporary modified duties would be reasonable. A plan should distinguish a manageable adjustment from completely abandoning an activity that is important to you.
Sources: NHS: Tennis elbow
Understand the rehabilitation approach
Ask what an exercise or therapy plan aims to improve and how the starting amount will be chosen. Confirm which response is acceptable and what should lead you to contact the therapist. If a brace, medication, injection, or another intervention is discussed, ask what role it plays beside rehabilitation and what evidence supports it for your situation. Do not assume that every advertised treatment is needed. Ask how you will decide whether a particular step adds enough benefit to continue.
Review persistent symptoms with a clear question
If the plan has not helped enough, bring a record of what you tried, for how long, what you could follow, and which task remains limited. Ask whether the diagnosis or the approach should be reconsidered. If surgery is discussed, ask what makes it appropriate now, which alternatives remain, and what recovery would mean for your job or sport. The timing should follow an individual assessment rather than a calendar copied from someone else’s case.
Find elbow care at Commons Clinic
Our team includes Richard Ahn, whose clinical focus covers elbow, wrist, and hand care. His profile below explains his background and areas of practice. Before a visit, choose the task you most want to improve and describe the amount you can currently manage. Ask how the proposed plan addresses that task and what progress would look like at the next review. That gives you and the clinician something concrete to work toward, whether treatment begins with rehabilitation or another step.
Ask how progress will be measured
The 2022 APTA elbow guideline covers assessment and measures as well as treatment for adult lateral elbow tendinopathy. Ask which findings the therapist will use to follow your progress, and choose a real task that matters to you. It might be lifting a pan, using a tool, or returning to a racket. Record how that task feels under similar conditions so later comparisons are useful. If the diagnosis or expected course is uncertain, ask when reassessment or a conversation with the physician should occur.
Sources: Lateral Elbow Pain and Muscle Function Impairments — Clinical Practice Guideline
Make an exercise program fit your daily load
AAOS advises choosing therapeutic elbow exercises with a doctor or physical therapist. Bring the full picture of your hand and arm use into that discussion, including work tasks and hobbies outside formal exercise. Ask what an acceptable response to a session looks like and what should lead you to contact the therapist. Have the technique checked before adding difficulty on your own. Agree on a manageable starting plan and how it will be reviewed, particularly if your work cannot be changed or symptoms vary substantially from one day to the next.
Sources: Therapeutic Exercise Program for Epicondylitis (Tennis Elbow / Golfer’s Elbow)
Make the most of your visit
Questions to bring to your consultation
Choose the questions that matter most to you. Bring them along, and ask us to explain anything that is unclear.
- Do the examination findings fit tennis elbow or another condition?
- Which work or sport tasks are most relevant to the symptoms?
- Would a test change the plan?
- What task modifications should I try first?
- What is the purpose and starting amount of the exercise program?
- What response should make me adjust or call?
- What evidence and risks should I consider for an injection or other procedure?
- If progress is limited, when will we reassess the diagnosis and options?
- Which repeatable task or measure will show whether my elbow function is changing?
- How should my exercise plan account for the gripping and lifting my job already requires?
- What response after exercise means I should ask for an adjustment?
Sources & further reading
- AAOS OrthoInfo: Tennis Elbow
- NHS: Tennis elbow
- Lateral Elbow Pain and Muscle Function Impairments — Clinical Practice GuidelineAmerican Physical Therapy Association; Academy of Hand and Upper Extremity Physical Therapy; Academy of Orthopaedic Physical Therapy · Published December 1, 2022
- Therapeutic Exercise Program for Epicondylitis (Tennis Elbow / Golfer’s Elbow)American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
We use these medical sources to help explain your options and prepare you for a conversation with our team. Our guides feature our own clinicians; patient reviews describe individual experiences.
