Tennis Elbow in Adults
WeCovr explains tennis elbow, symptoms, and private physiotherapy
That nagging ache on the outside of your elbow could be more than just a simple strain. At WeCovr, an FCA-authorised broker that has helped arrange over 800,000 policies, we understand how conditions like tennis elbow can impact your life. This guide explains what it is and how private medical insurance in the UK can help you get back on track, faster.
Tennis elbow is one of the most common musculoskeletal issues we see people claim for. It can affect your work, your hobbies, and your overall quality of life. While the NHS provides excellent care, waiting times for diagnosis and treatment can be a significant source of frustration. This is where private health cover offers a valuable alternative, giving you swift access to the specialist care you need.
What Exactly is Tennis Elbow?
Despite its name, you don't need to be a Wimbledon champion to get tennis elbow. In fact, most people who suffer from it have never even picked up a racquet.
The medical term for tennis elbow is lateral epicondylitis. Let's break that down in simple terms:
- Lateral Epicondyle: This is the bony bump on the outside of your elbow where certain forearm muscles attach.
- -itis: This suffix usually means inflammation. However, modern understanding suggests tennis elbow is more about wear and tear, or 'degeneration', of the tendon rather than pure inflammation.
Essentially, tennis elbow is a repetitive strain injury. It happens when the tendons that connect your forearm muscles to your outer elbow become overloaded and develop tiny tears. Think of a rope that starts to fray from being used too much in the same way, day after day. Over time, this fraying leads to pain and weakness.
The main tendon involved is the extensor carpi radialis brevis (ECRB). This muscle helps you extend and stabilise your wrist. When you repeatedly use this muscle, it can put too much stress on the tendon, causing the pain you feel as tennis elbow.
Who is at Risk? The Real Causes of Tennis Elbow
Tennis elbow affects an estimated 1-3% of the UK population each year, most commonly in adults between the ages of 40 and 60. The root cause is almost always repetitive motion of the wrist and arm.
Here are some of the most common activities and professions linked to the condition:
| Category | Examples of Activities and Professions |
|---|---|
| Manual Trades | Carpenters, painters, plumbers, decorators, chefs, and builders. Using tools like screwdrivers, hammers, and paint rollers puts significant strain on the forearm. |
| Office Work | Prolonged use of a computer mouse and keyboard, especially with poor ergonomic setup, is a leading modern cause. |
| Hobbies & Leisure | Gardening (weeding, pruning), DIY tasks, playing musical instruments (like the violin or guitar), knitting, and of course, racquet sports. |
| Sports | Tennis, badminton, squash, and throwing sports like javelin. Incorrect technique or equipment is often a contributing factor. |
According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), an estimated 473,000 workers in Great Britain were suffering from a work-related musculoskeletal disorder in 2022/23. A significant portion of these involve the upper limbs and neck, where conditions like tennis elbow are prevalent. This highlights that your job could be a major contributing factor to your pain.
Recognising the Symptoms of Tennis Elbow
The symptoms of tennis elbow usually develop gradually over weeks or months. You might notice a faint ache at first, which slowly becomes more persistent and severe.
Key symptoms to watch for include:
- Pain on the outside of your elbow: This is the hallmark sign. The pain might spread down your forearm towards your wrist.
- Tenderness to the touch: The bony point on your outer elbow may feel sore if you press on it.
- Weak grip strength: You might find it difficult to hold a mug of tea, turn a key in a lock, or shake hands firmly.
- Pain during specific movements: The ache often worsens when you:
- Lift or bend your arm.
- Twist your forearm (e.g., opening a jar or turning a doorknob).
- Grip small objects, like a pen.
- Fully straighten your arm.
The pain can range from a mild discomfort during certain activities to a constant, severe ache, even when at rest.
How Tennis Elbow is Diagnosed: The NHS vs. Private Route
If you suspect you have tennis elbow, getting a proper diagnosis is the first step towards recovery. The path you take can significantly influence how quickly you start treatment.
The NHS Pathway
- GP Appointment: Your journey will typically start with your local GP. They will ask about your symptoms, medical history, and daily activities.
- Physical Examination: The GP will perform a physical exam, which usually involves pressing on the sore area and asking you to move your arm, wrist, and fingers in different ways to pinpoint the pain.
- Diagnosis: In most cases, a diagnosis of tennis elbow can be made based on this examination alone. Scans are rarely needed.
- Referral: If treatment is required, your GP will refer you to an NHS physiotherapist. This is where delays can occur. According to NHS England data, waiting times for community services like physiotherapy can stretch for many weeks, and in some areas, several months.
The Private Pathway with Health Insurance
- Swift Access: Private medical insurance is designed to bypass these queues. Depending on your policy, you may be able to see a specialist or physiotherapist within days.
- GP Referral or Direct Access: Some policies require a GP referral to authorise treatment, but many modern plans offer direct access to physiotherapy services without needing to see a doctor first.
- Choice and Control: You often get a choice of specialists and clinics from your insurer's approved network, allowing you to find a location and time that suits you.
- Comprehensive Care: Your private health cover can fund a course of treatment, ensuring you get the consistent therapy needed for a full recovery.
Here's a simple comparison:
| Feature | NHS Pathway | Private Pathway (with PMI) |
|---|---|---|
| Initial Access | Wait for a GP appointment. | GP appointment or direct access to services. |
| Waiting Time for Physio | Weeks or months, depending on location. | Typically days. |
| Choice of Provider | Assigned to a local NHS service. | Choice from an approved network of private clinics. |
| Appointment Flexibility | Limited, often during standard working hours. | More flexible, with evening and weekend appointments often available. |
The Critical Role of Private Medical Insurance (PMI)
It is vital to understand a core principle of private medical insurance in the UK: it is designed to cover acute conditions that arise after your policy begins.
- Acute Condition: A disease, illness, or injury that is likely to respond quickly to treatment and lead to a full recovery (e.g., tennis elbow that develops six months after you take out a policy).
- Pre-existing Condition: Any condition for which you have had symptoms, advice, or treatment before your policy start date. Standard PMI policies will not cover pre-existing conditions.
- Chronic Condition: A condition that is long-lasting, has no known cure, and requires ongoing management (e.g., arthritis). PMI does not cover the routine management of chronic conditions.
If your tennis elbow is a new problem that started after your health insurance was in place, you can benefit from the speed and choice that private care offers. If it becomes a persistent, long-term issue, your insurer may classify it as chronic, which could affect long-term cover. An expert PMI broker like WeCovr can help you understand these crucial distinctions when you compare policies.
Treating Tennis Elbow: A Step-by-Step Guide to Recovery
Recovery from tennis elbow is often a marathon, not a sprint. It requires patience and a proactive approach. Physiotherapy is the cornerstone of effective, long-term treatment.
Phase 1: Initial Management (PEACE)
For the first few days after the pain starts, the focus is on calming things down. The popular RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation) acronym has been updated to PEACE & LOVE.
- P - Protect: Avoid activities and movements that cause pain for the first 1-3 days.
- E - Elevate: Raise your elbow higher than your heart as often as possible to help with any swelling.
- A - Avoid Anti-inflammatories: Avoid taking anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen, as they can hinder the natural tissue healing process in the early stages. Paracetamol for pain relief is generally preferred.
- C - Compress: Use a bandage or elbow strap to provide gentle compression.
- E - Educate: Learn about your condition and the importance of active recovery. Your physiotherapist is the best person to guide you.
Phase 2: Active Recovery (LOVE)
After the first few days, it’s time to encourage healing.
- L - Load: Gradually reintroduce movement and light exercise. Your body needs appropriate stress to stimulate tendon repair. A physiotherapist will prescribe the right exercises.
- O - Optimism: A positive mindset is proven to aid recovery. Trust the process and believe that you will get better.
- V - Vascularisation: Engage in pain-free cardio exercise (like walking, cycling, or swimming). This boosts blood flow to the injured tissues, which helps them heal.
- E - Exercise: This is the most important part of your recovery. Performing specific stretching and strengthening exercises is key to restoring function and preventing recurrence.
Physiotherapy: Your Path to a Pain-Free Elbow
A physiotherapist will create a tailored treatment plan for you, which may include:
- Stretching Exercises: To improve flexibility in the forearm muscles.
- Example: Wrist Extensor Stretch. Hold your arm out straight, palm down. Gently bend your wrist down with your other hand until you feel a stretch in your forearm. Hold for 20-30 seconds.
- Strengthening Exercises: To build resilience in the tendon and supporting muscles. These often start with isometric exercises (tensing the muscle without moving) and progress to eccentric exercises (lengthening the muscle under load), which are highly effective for tendon injuries.
- Example: The Tyler Twist. Using a flexible rubber bar, this specific eccentric exercise has been shown to be very effective.
- Manual Therapy: Hands-on techniques like massage and soft tissue release to reduce muscle tightness and improve movement.
- Advice and Education: Your physio will help you identify the root cause of your problem and advise on how to modify your activities at work or during hobbies to prevent it from coming back.
Other Treatment Options
If physiotherapy and self-care aren't enough, other treatments may be considered:
- Steroid Injections: A corticosteroid injection can provide powerful short-term pain relief. However, they are used less frequently now, as evidence suggests they don't improve long-term outcomes and may even weaken the tendon if used repeatedly. Most PMI policies will cover a steroid injection if deemed clinically necessary.
- Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) Injections: A newer treatment where a concentration of your own blood platelets is injected into the tendon to stimulate healing. This is often considered an experimental treatment and may not be covered by all private medical insurance UK providers.
- Surgery: In a very small number of persistent cases (less than 5%) that don't respond to at least 6-12 months of non-surgical treatment, surgery may be an option to remove the damaged part of the tendon.
How Your Private Health Cover Supports Your Recovery
Having a comprehensive private health cover policy can make all the difference when dealing with an acute case of tennis elbow.
- Outpatient Cover: This is the part of your policy that pays for treatments that don't require an overnight hospital stay. It's essential for tennis elbow, as it covers:
- Specialist consultations.
- Diagnostic tests (if needed).
- Physiotherapy sessions.
- Therapies Cover: Most mid-range and comprehensive policies include cover for therapies like physiotherapy, osteopathy, and chiropractic care. Some basic policies may offer it as a paid add-on. The number of sessions covered can vary, from a set number (e.g., 10 sessions per year) to a financial limit (e.g., £1,000 per year).
- Digital GP & Health Support: Many modern insurers provide 24/7 access to a Digital GP service. This allows you to get medical advice quickly without leaving your home, and they can provide an open referral for physiotherapy if your policy allows it.
At WeCovr, we help our clients find policies that offer robust outpatient and therapies cover, ensuring they are well-protected against conditions like tennis elbow. We compare plans from the best PMI providers to find the perfect balance of benefits and budget for your needs.
Preventing Tennis Elbow: Practical Lifestyle Tips
Prevention is always better than cure. By making a few simple adjustments to your daily routine, you can significantly reduce your risk of developing tennis elbow or suffering a recurrence.
- Improve Your Workspace Ergonomics:
- Ensure your chair, desk, and monitor are at the correct height.
- Use an ergonomic mouse and keyboard that keep your wrist in a neutral position.
- Take frequent short breaks to stretch your hands, wrists, and arms.
- Check Your Sporting Technique:
- If you play racquet sports, ask a coach to check your form, especially your backhand.
- Ensure your racquet isn't too heavy or strung too tightly for your ability.
- Warm-Up and Cool-Down: Always perform gentle warm-up exercises before any sport or strenuous DIY task, and stretch afterwards.
- Strengthen Your Forearms: Regularly perform the same strengthening exercises used for rehabilitation to keep your muscles and tendons strong and resilient.
- Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle: A healthy diet and regular exercise support overall tissue health. At WeCovr, we believe in a holistic approach to wellbeing, which is why our clients get complimentary access to CalorieHero, our AI-powered calorie and nutrition tracking app, to help them stay on top of their health goals. Maintaining a healthy weight reduces overall stress on your body's joints and soft tissues.
The Cost of Going Private Without Insurance
While the NHS is free at the point of use, choosing to pay for private treatment out-of-pocket can be expensive. This is why having private health cover is a smart way to budget for unexpected medical needs.
Here are the typical self-pay costs for tennis elbow treatment in the UK:
| Service | Average Self-Pay Cost (UK) |
|---|---|
| Initial Physiotherapy Consultation | £70 – £120 |
| Follow-up Physiotherapy Session | £50 – £80 |
| Course of 6 Physio Sessions | £350 – £550+ |
| Consultation with an Orthopaedic Specialist | £200 – £300 |
| Private Steroid Injection | £150 – £300 |
| Diagnostic Ultrasound Scan (if required) | £250 – £400 |
A full course of private treatment could easily cost over £700. In contrast, a private medical insurance policy can cost as little as £40-£50 per month for a healthy individual, providing peace of mind and access to treatment worth thousands of pounds when you need it most.
Frequently Asked Questions about Tennis Elbow and PMI
Is tennis elbow covered by private medical insurance?
Do I need a GP referral to see a private physiotherapist with my PMI?
How many physiotherapy sessions will my health insurance cover for tennis elbow?
Can I choose my own physiotherapist with my private medical insurance?
Take the Next Step with WeCovr
Dealing with the persistent pain of tennis elbow can be draining. Don't let NHS waiting lists delay your recovery. With the right private medical insurance, you can access expert physiotherapy and specialist care exactly when you need it.
At WeCovr, we make finding the right cover simple. As an independent, FCA-authorised broker with high customer satisfaction ratings, we provide impartial advice tailored to you. We'll compare policies from across the market to find a plan that fits your needs and budget, at no extra cost to you. Plus, our clients often benefit from discounts on other types of insurance.
Get your free, no-obligation quote today and take control of your health.
Why private medical insurance and how does it work?
What is Private Medical Insurance?
Private medical insurance (PMI) is a type of health insurance that provides access to private healthcare services in the UK. It covers the cost of private medical treatment, allowing you to bypass NHS waiting lists and receive faster, more convenient care.How does it work?
Private medical insurance works by paying for your private healthcare costs. When you need treatment, you can choose to go private and your insurance will cover the costs, subject to your policy terms and conditions. This can include:• Private consultations with specialists
• Private hospital treatment and surgery
• Diagnostic tests and scans
• Physiotherapy and rehabilitation
• Mental health treatment
Your premium depends on factors like your age, health, occupation, and the level of cover you choose. Most policies offer different levels of cover, from basic to comprehensive, allowing you to tailor the policy to your needs and budget.
Questions to ask yourself regarding private medical insurance
Just ask yourself:👉 Are you concerned about NHS waiting times for treatment?
👉 Would you prefer to choose your own consultant and hospital?
👉 Do you want faster access to diagnostic tests and scans?
👉 Would you like private hospital accommodation and better food?
👉 Do you want to avoid the stress of NHS waiting lists?
Many people don't realise that private medical insurance is more affordable than they think, especially when you consider the value of faster treatment and better facilities. A great insurance policy can provide peace of mind and ensure you receive the care you need when you need it.
Benefits offered by private medical insurance
Private medical insurance provides numerous benefits that can significantly improve your healthcare experience and outcomes:Faster Access to Treatment
One of the biggest advantages is avoiding NHS waiting lists. While the NHS provides excellent care, waiting times can be lengthy. With private medical insurance, you can often receive treatment within days or weeks rather than months.
Choice of Consultant and Hospital
You can choose your preferred consultant and hospital, giving you more control over your healthcare journey. This is particularly important for complex treatments where you want a specific specialist.
Better Facilities and Accommodation
Private hospitals typically offer superior facilities, including private rooms, better food, and more comfortable surroundings. This can make your recovery more pleasant and potentially faster.
Advanced Treatments
Private medical insurance often covers treatments and medications not available on the NHS, giving you access to the latest medical advances and technologies.
Mental Health Support
Many policies include comprehensive mental health coverage, providing faster access to therapy and psychiatric care when needed.
Tax Benefits for Business Owners
If you're self-employed or a business owner, private medical insurance premiums can be tax-deductible, making it a cost-effective way to protect your health and your business.
Peace of Mind
Knowing you have access to private healthcare when you need it provides invaluable peace of mind, especially for those with ongoing health conditions or concerns about NHS capacity.
Private medical insurance is particularly valuable for those who want to take control of their healthcare journey and ensure they receive the best possible treatment when they need it most.
Important Fact!
We can look at a more suitable option mid-term!
Why is it important to get private medical insurance early?
👉 Many people are very thankful that they had their private medical insurance cover in place before running into some serious health issues. Private medical insurance is as important as life insurance for protecting your family's finances.👉 We insure our cars, houses, and even our phones! Yet our health is the most precious thing we have.
Easily one of the most important insurance purchases an individual or family can make in their lifetime, the decision to buy private medical insurance can be made much simpler with the help of FCA-authorised advisers. They are the specialists who do the searching and analysis helping people choose between various types of private medical insurance policies available in the market, including different levels of cover and policy types most suitable to the client's individual circumstances.
It certainly won't do any harm if you speak with one of our experienced insurance experts who are passionate about advising people on financial matters related to private medical insurance and are keen to provide you with a free consultation.
You can discuss with them in detail what affordable private medical insurance plan for the necessary peace of mind they would recommend! WeCovr works with some of the best advisers in the market.
By tapping the button below, you can book a free call with them in less than 30 seconds right now:
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