When It’s Not Just Tendonitis... It’s a Trapped Nerve
If you've had elbow pain for months (or years), and you've tried:
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Braces
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Injections
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Physical therapy
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Ice, rest, and band-aid exercises
...only to have that pain keep coming back — you're not alone.
The reason?
It might not be a tendon problem.
In many stubborn cases of "tennis elbow," the deeper issue is nerve entrapment and adhesion along the entire length of the nerve.
How Nerves Get Stuck and Why It Hurts
The radial nerve is the key player here. It travels from your neck down through your arm and into your wrist and hand.
When that nerve gets stuck:
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It can't glide properly during movement
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It pulls and strains the tissues around it
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It creates pain at the elbow and beyond
This often gets mislabeled as:
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Lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow)
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Chronic tendonitis
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Repetitive strain injury
But what’s really going on is:
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Adhesion in the radial nerve pathway (especially near the supinator and triceps)
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Possibly even upstream entrapment in the cervical spine or shoulder
Why Adhesion Stops Healing
Adhesion acts like glue around the nerve. It restricts:
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Mobility (the nerve can’t move)
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Blood flow (which nerves need to stay healthy)
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Function (you lose strength, control, and stability)
This makes every rehab attempt less effective.
You stretch and strengthen — but the nerve's still stuck. You rest — but it flares back up as soon as you move again.
How We Treat Stubborn Elbow Pain Differently
At Resolve, we don’t chase the elbow. We assess the entire nerve pathway:
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Find: Map your pain history, movement, and aggravating motions
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Feel: Palpate from cervical spine → shoulder → elbow → wrist
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Fix: Release adhesion manually along the radial nerve (and sometimes median/ulnar, depending on referral patterns)
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Restore: Re-test nerve glide and function immediately
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Gain + Retain: Strengthen only after mobility is restored
This is how we:
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Reverse stubborn elbow pain
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Help patients avoid surgery or endless bracing
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Actually solve the nerve entrapment problem
Final Word: If It’s Not Healing, It’s Not Just a Tendon
Persistent tennis elbow is often not about the elbow at all.
If it's been 3+ months with no relief — or if PT, injections, or rest haven’t worked — it’s time to look at the nerves and adhesion.
Let us help you unstick what’s stuck.
→ Book your evaluation here
Resolve Soft Tissue & Spine | Charlotte
Zac Breedlove
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