Tennis Elbow Test: How to Do Maudsley's Test to Know If You Have Tennis Elbow

Tennis Elbow is a very common chronic pain condition that affects the tendons in the elbow. Estimates vary, but 1-3% of adults develop Tennis Elbow every year.

Despite the name, the condition is not limited to tennis players or even racquet sports players. Anyone who uses their arms, wrists or hands, especially in repeat motions, can develop Tennis Elbow. In fact, it's the most common cause of elbow pain.

There are other conditions that cause pain in the elbow or forearm, but it's relatively easy to know if you have Tennis Elbow with a self-administered test, called Maudsley's Test. Let's dive into how. And in case you need it, here's our refresher on what Tennis Elbow is.

Location: Tennis Elbow pain is usually felt outside of your elbow, around the bony bump on the outside of the elbow, where the affected tendons are connected to the bone. You may also feel the pain radiate down your forearm.

Triggers: People with Tennis Elbow have pain when making a fist or gripping objects, like turning a doorknob, shaking hands, or holding a coffee mug. Usually, the pain is worse when gripping thinner items like a pen than something thicker like a glass.

Loss of grip strength: Another telltale sign of Tennis Elbow is the weakening of grip strength. Even if you don't have a grip dynamometer, you may feel that your grip isn't as strong as usual when holding a hand tool, frying pan, and so on.

There are several tests physical therapists and doctors use to diagnose Tennis Elbow, including Mill's Test and Cozen's Test. In the Alleviate App, we use a Tennis Elbow test called Maudsley's Test.

This reliable test is also easy to do yourself, so we use it to set your pain baseline, and track your progress as you move through our Tennis Elbow Guided Recovery Program. Here's how you do it:

Alleviate was founded by a patient-and-clinician duo to bring the effective chronic pain treatment from physical therapy offices to everyone's home. With our Tennis Elbow System that includes the Guided Recovery Program, you can use the Alleviate Method to recover from Tennis Elbow at home. No physical therapy training required!