A patient came to see us after dealing with shoulder and elbow pain with numbness in his forearm and wrist for over two months. He had a vacation scheduled at the end of the month. His primary care doctor diagnosed him with tennis elbow and referred him to physical therapy—but the earliest PT appointment was over a month away. Frustrated, he came to our office for a second opinion.
We confirmed the diagnosis and began treatment with adjustments to his upper back, elbow and wrist. He noticed relief within two visits, but the pain in his elbow, wrist and forearm would consistently return shortly after each session. Additionally, the numbness in his forearm persisted.
That prompted us to take a deeper look at the surrounding anatomy—specifically the muscles and nerves near the lateral elbow. What we found was key: his posterior interosseous nerve, a branch of the radial nerve, was being trapped by the supinator muscle, which attaches at the same point as the common extensor tendon.
We spent the next four sessions focusing on releasing the supinator muscle and freeing the adhesions around the nerve. Since then, his symptoms have mostly resolved, and he’s back to working pain-free. Best part of all, it was just in time for his vacation!
✅ The takeaway? A diagnosis like “tennis elbow” is a helpful starting point—but it’s just that: a starting point. It’s important to look deeper into the surrounding anatomy for adhesions that may be preventing muscles and nerves from gliding smoothly.
Every time you move your arm, those restricted tissues can tug or pinch the nerve, sending pain or irritation down your arm. That’s often what people feel as a sharp or aching pain around the elbow.
If you or someone you know is dealing with pain that just won’t go away, send them our way. We’d be happy to take a closer look.
See you soon,
Dr. Del
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