How Long Should You Wear A Tennis Elbow Brace?

Tennis elbow braces can seem like a miracle for people dealing with tennis elbow. For some players, they can nearly erase the pain, allowing them to play comfortably through something they thought would never go away. In fact, they can be so effective that you may wonder if you should keep them on all the time. So, how long should you wear a tennis elbow brace for?

Here’s the answer:

In the rest of this article, I’ll detail what tennis elbow braces are designed for and how long you should wear them.

The Purpose of Tennis Elbow Braces

Tennis elbow braces, or counterforce braces, are designed to prevent muscles and tendons from moving too much during an activity. If left unchecked, this movement in the forearm area can sometimes lead to painful inflammation.

When it becomes a problem, this condition is known medically as lateral epicondylitis. You probably know it better as tennis elbow.

This condition can take a long time to heal, and it can even re-occur in those who have already waited for the pain to go away. That’s where counterforce braces come in.

They put pressure in the area below the pain point, stopping the muscles in the forearm from moving too much and reducing pain.

Can Tennis Elbow Braces Heal Tennis Elbow?

Reducing the pain of an injury can also heal it, right? Yes and no.

tennis elbow braces are designed to prevent pain stemming from overuse injuries like lateral epicondylitis, or tennis elbow. In this way, they can help prevent further injury, but they don’t actually heal the problem. In fact, if worn for too long, they can restrict blood flow which harms healing.

Tennis elbow braces have a role to play in healing an injury, but they’re only one piece of the puzzle.

The Right Time To Wear a Tennis Elbow Brace

Now that you have a better idea of what counterforce braces do, you may have already guessed when you should use them.

Since the main purpose of these braces is to allow pain-free arm movement, you should only use them for those activities that cause you pain.

For tennis players, the main culprit is most likely tennis practice or matches. While playing, keep the tennis elbow brace snug underneath the pain point.

When not playing tennis, using a brace depends on whether or not an activity is making the pain worse. If cooking makes the pain flare up, give the brace a try. But if not, put it away.

Why It’s Best Not To Overuse a Tennis Elbow Brace

The reason for staying away from counterforce braces during pain-free times is that blood flow is important for healing any injury. Since tennis elbow braces can restrict this blood flow, they can also prevent healing from taking place.

If you’re worried about small aches and pains throughout the day, the first step is to talk to a medical professional to see if the issue couldn’t be bigger than you think.

Otherwise, you may want to try a more simple approach with things like ice packs or over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medicine.

Using these after exercising with your counterforce brace can be a great combination that allows you to work toward recovery.

Should You Wear a Tennis Elbow Brace Overnight?

For some, tennis elbow can flare up at the worst times, and the worst time of all might be when you’re trying to get a little shut-eye.

You shouldn’t wear a tennis elbow brace overnight because the strap can reduce blood flow. If you’re in pain from a tennis elbow injury, it’s better to take anti-inflammatory medication to reduce the pain at the site. Elbow braces should be a last resort for short-term activities.

If the pain persists throughout the night, try icing your arm before bed and even making use of other options like compression sleeves.

When To Wear a Tennis Elbow Brace for Tennis Elbow

It’s best not to rely on tennis elbow braces too much. They’re a tool to help get you through activities requiring the forearm muscles that otherwise cause pain.

Because of that, you should only use counterforce braces when necessary. Rely on them to get you through tennis sessions or long periods of housework, but try not to use them as a 24-hour pain management device.

They’re a fantastic tool for helping you manage pain while still accomplishing tasks, but they should come off as soon as you’re done.

Using Tennis Elbow Braces Outside of Tennis

There are many uses for tennis elbow braces, not all of them having to do with tennis.

If an activity uses your forearm muscles and gives you pain, it doesn’t hurt to give a brace a try to see if it can help you.

Housework

Ever heard of putting a little elbow grease into cleaning something? Well, that bit of elbow grease can end up hurting quite a bit if you’re dealing with tennis elbow. Things like sweeping, vacuuming, doing the dishes, and many other chores around the house make use of the forearm muscles. An elbow brace can help with that if it’s causing you pain.

Other Sports

Tennis athletes aren’t the only ones that use the muscles in their forearms. Overuse injuries in that area are common in many other sports like ice hockey, golf, and even rock climbing. If you’re in pain while playing a different sport, you may want to try an elbow brace.

Manual Labor

If physical labor is a part of your job description and you’re having pain in your elbow, you can give counterforce braces a try. The only thing to be aware of is that you’re taking the elbow brace off when it’s not necessary for pain management.

How Long Should You Wear A Tennis Elbow Brace – Final Thoughts

Tennis elbow braces are very good for managing pain, but you shouldn’t consider them a healing device.

Use them during tennis or other strenuous activities, but make sure to take them off once you’re done. If the pain persists, try icing your arm for relief.

Sources

• Physio Works: Why use a tennis elbow brace?
• Dunbar Medical: 5 elbow brace questions and answers
• Orthopedic Sports Doctor: Using a tennis elbow brace or golfers elbow brace
• Tennis Elbow Classroom: Should you wear a tennis elbow brace?
• Ortho Texas: Tennis Elbow