Elbow & Wrist Pain Treatment in Plymouth
Elbow and wrist pain might not sound dramatic — but when it stops you gripping a mug, typing at a keyboard, lifting in the gym or swinging a racket, it has a very real impact on daily life.
These areas are under almost constant load — whether you're working at a desk, carrying shopping, playing sport or training — which means problems here rarely resolve on their own without the right intervention.
At KS Sports Therapy in Plymouth, we accurately diagnose what's going on and build a plan that addresses both the symptoms and the underlying cause — so you're not just getting temporary relief that wears off.
Common Causes
Symptoms to Look Out For
What Can Help?
For elbow and wrist pain driven by overuse or repetitive loading, modifying the activity that's causing the problem is the first and most important step — not necessarily stopping it entirely, but reducing the volume or intensity to a level the tissue can tolerate. Complete rest often allows symptoms to settle temporarily before returning when activity resumes, which is why load management rather than rest is the more effective approach.
For desk-based contributors, reviewing your mouse and keyboard position, taking regular breaks from typing, and varying your grip position throughout the day can all reduce the load on the affected tendons.
Applying heat to the affected area before activity and ice afterwards can help manage symptoms during the recovery process.
What tends to make it worse: gripping and lifting with the wrist extended, repetitive mouse use without breaks, and returning to full loading too quickly after a period of rest.
When to seek professional help: you're welcome to book in as soon as you want to — you don't need to have been in pain for a specific amount of time before coming to see us. If elbow or wrist pain has been present for more than a few weeks, is affecting grip strength, or keeps returning despite rest, a proper assessment can identify the specific structures involved and the most effective loading programme to address them.
Conditions We Treat
Tennis Elbow (Lateral Epicondylitis)
Despite the name, tennis elbow affects far more than just tennis players. It involves the tendons on the outer elbow and is driven by repetitive gripping and wrist extension. It's a tendon loading problem that responds well to progressive rehabilitation once correctly diagnosed.
Golfer's Elbow (Medial Epicondylitis)
Golfer's elbow affects the tendons on the inner elbow and is common in anyone who does a lot of gripping, pulling or wrist flexion. Like tennis elbow, it requires a structured, progressive loading approach rather than simply resting.
Wrist Tendinopathy
The tendons running across the wrist can become irritated and painful through overuse or sudden changes in training load. We identify which tendons are involved and guide you through a rehabilitation programme that keeps you as active as possible throughout.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Compression of the median nerve as it passes through the wrist can cause tingling, numbness and weakness in the hand. We assess whether the symptoms are truly arising from the wrist or have a contribution from the neck or elbow, and treat accordingly.
Cubital Tunnel Syndrome
Irritation or compression of the ulnar nerve at the elbow can cause tingling in the ring and little fingers and pain along the inner forearm. Postural factors and nerve mobility work are central to treatment.
How We Treat It
Elbow and wrist conditions are often mismanaged through rest alone — which frequently allows the problem to settle temporarily before returning. Our approach combines sports massage and soft tissue work to reduce local tension, dry needling where trigger points are contributing, and a carefully structured progressive loading programme to restore full tendon capacity. We'll also review how you're loading the area in training, work or daily life to make sure we're not just treating a problem that's going to keep coming back. Treatment may include Sports Massage, Dry Needling, Corrective Exercise, IASTM.
Where surgery is recommended for elbow or wrist conditions — such as carpal tunnel release or tennis elbow procedures — we can support your preparation beforehand and your recovery afterwards. Post-operative rehabilitation can help restore grip strength, movement and function more effectively than rest alone, and it's something we've used successfully with many patients following upper limb procedures.
What to Expect
We'll start with a thorough assessment that looks at the elbow and wrist in the context of the whole arm and neck. Many elbow and wrist problems have a contribution from higher up the chain that is easily missed. Treatment typically begins at your first appointment and progresses over three to eight sessions depending on the nature and duration of the problem. You'll have a clear home exercise plan from the start so recovery continues between sessions.
Ready to Get Started?
Book your appointment today or explore all the conditions we treat.