Physiotherapy
Elbow Pain Physiotherapy in Singapore
Written by Mavis Tham, Shamaine Soh and Yuna Zhuang, Principal Hand Occupational Therapists at Phoenix Rehab.Clinically reviewed by Nigel Chua, Principal Hand Occupational Therapist & Director, AHPC A1300362Z.Last reviewed 16 October 2026.
Tennis elbow is not inflammation. It is a tendon that has lost its tolerance, which is why resting it feels better and changes nothing.
Assessment-led treatment for tennis elbow, golfer’s elbow, elbow stiffness after a fracture or a cast, post-surgical elbow rehabilitation, and nerve-related elbow pain. Five clinics across Singapore. No referral needed.
One 45-minute appointment, $230 nett, no GST. Assessment and treatment in the same visit.
The problem
Six months of rest, and it hurt again the first week back
Elbow tendon pain has a cruel logic. It settles when you stop using the arm, so resting feels like it is working. Then you pick up a kettle, or go back to the racket, or lift a toddler, and it is exactly where it was.
The reason is that the tendon did not need rest, it needed capacity. A tendon that hurts under load has usually been asked for more than it can currently tolerate, and rest lowers that tolerance further. What changes it is graded loading, pitched to how irritable the tendon is right now, which is what the assessment is for.
Rest settles a tendon. It does not strengthen one.
What physiotherapy for elbow pain involves
First, which part of the elbow is it?
Physiotherapy for elbow pain starts by working out which structure hurts: a tendon, the joint, a ligament or a nerve. Treatment then changes the load on it, gets back the movement that has been lost, and builds grip and forearm strength in stages, measured in kilograms against your other arm. Most elbow tendon problems are treated without injections or surgery.
| Where it hurts | What it usually is | Read more |
| Outer elbow, worse gripping or lifting palm-down | Tennis elbow, an overloaded extensor tendon | Tennis elbow treatment |
| Inner elbow, worse gripping palm-up or throwing | Golfer’s elbow, the flexor tendon | Golfer’s elbow |
| A soft swelling at the point of the elbow | Olecranon bursitis | Olecranon bursitis |
| Deep at the front, worse bending against load | Often the brachialis muscle | Brachialis pain |
| Numb or tingling ring and little fingers | The ulnar nerve at the elbow (cubital tunnel) | Cubital Tunnel Recovery Program |
| Stiff after a fall, a fracture or a cast | Joint stiffness after injury | Elbow Fracture and Dislocation Recovery Program |
See a doctor first. Go to the emergency department now if the elbow looks deformed after a fall, you cannot bend or straighten it, or the hand is pale, cold or numb. See a doctor the same day if the elbow is hot, red and swollen, or you have a fever. See a doctor soon if the elbow locks, the hand is weak or numb, or the pain wakes you every night.
Where are you right now?
Four situations we see with elbows
- It started in the last few weeks. Most elbow pain settles with the right load rather than with rest. What matters now is knowing which tissue is complaining and how much to give it.
- It has been months and the grip is the problem. Grip strength in kilograms is the measurement that actually tracks a tendon elbow, and it is rarely taken.
- You have had surgery or a cast. An elbow stiffens quickly after a cast or an operation, so its range is measured from the first appointment rather than assumed.
- You have numbness in the ring and little finger. That is a nerve at the elbow rather than a tendon, and it is worth reading the cubital tunnel program.
What we treat
Elbow conditions
Tennis elbow
Lateral epicondylitis. Pain on the outside of the elbow that flares with gripping and lifting.
Golfer’s elbow
Medial epicondylitis. Pain on the inside of the elbow. A different condition from tennis elbow, with a different exercise plan.
Stiffness after a fracture or dislocation
Reduced range after a fracture, a dislocation, or time in a cast. The elbow is one of the joints most prone to it. See the Elbow Fracture and Dislocation Recovery Program.
After elbow surgery
Protection, movement and strength in the order your surgeon’s protocol allows. After tennis elbow surgery, see the weeks after the operation.
Nerve-related elbow pain
Including cubital tunnel. Numbness or tingling traveling into the hand needs a different approach to tendon or muscle pain, and is assessed carefully.
Which team
Elbows sit with our hand therapy team
Hand therapy covers the finger, hand, wrist, forearm and elbow, which is why elbow stiffness, nerve compression at the elbow and post-surgical elbow work are managed by our hand therapy team rather than treated as a general limb problem. Custom thermoplastic splints are made in the appointment where one is needed.
How recovery is run
4-Stage Structured Recovery
Every plan runs on the Phoenix Recovery Protocol: four stages, with measurable criteria to move between them. With tendon pain, grip strength is measured in kilograms against your other side at each review, so progress is a number rather than an impression.
1. Calm & Protect
Settle an irritable tendon or a swollen joint. Modify the loads that are provoking it, without stopping entirely.
2. Move & Mobilize
Regain the range the elbow and forearm have lost, particularly after a cast or an operation.
3. Rebuild & Strengthen
Graded loading of the tendon and the forearm, measured in kilograms. The stage that decides whether it returns.
4. Return & Perform
Gripping, lifting, the racket, the tools, the keyboard. Tested against your other arm.
Who you will see
Therapists who treat elbows
Yuna Zhuang
Tennis elbow, cubital tunnel, and the wrist and elbow injuries of climbers, racquet players and people who train. Custom splinting.
Orchard, Serangoon, Tampines
Shamaine Soh
Stiffness and scar tightness after hand, wrist or elbow surgery. Practicing hand therapy since 2015, with a special interest in the elbow and wrist.
Orchard, Sundays
Mavis Tham
Fractures and ligament injuries of the wrist and forearm, and custom thermoplastic splinting.
Tanjong Pagar
Jasmine Ang
Wrist fractures and hand injuries, and custom splinting.
Jurong East, opening 25 October 2026
Tennis elbow that needs shockwave therapy is also seen by our physiotherapists Zita Sham, Fairuuz Saleh and Shiv Mohan Banka at Orchard and Tampines. Every appointment is one to one with your therapist for the full 45 minutes.
If it has stalled
Braces, rest and time off, and the grip is still not there
You pour the kettle with the other hand. A full mug is a two-handed job. You have stopped carrying the shopping on that side without thinking about it first.
That is not a tendon that healed. That is a tendon that stopped being provoked.
The Stalled Recovery Review is three appointments over three weeks with the same therapist, because a tendon shows what it can tolerate over weeks, not in one visit. The first appointment finds what is limiting it. The next two measure how it responds to graded loading. $690, nett, no GST, which is three appointments at $230.
What it costs
One price, stated once
Assessment & Treatment
One standard 45-minute appointment, nett, no GST. Treatment starts in the same appointment.
- History and physical examination, including the neck and shoulder where relevant
- Elbow and forearm range, and grip strength in kilograms, both sides
- A stage diagnosis against the four stages
- A written plan and a home program
- Your next review dated into the diary
No packages and no discounts for booking a course.
Splint materials are charged separately where a splint is made. Ask when you book and we will tell you the cost beforehand.
Questions we get asked
Do I need a doctor’s referral?
No. You can book directly. Bring any scans or reports you have. Some insurers ask for a referral before they reimburse, so check your policy.
Should I wear a tennis elbow brace?
A strap can reduce pain while you are loading the arm, which makes it useful during the strengthening stage. It is a way of getting work done, not a treatment on its own: a strap does not strengthen the tendon.
How long does tennis elbow take?
Many cases improve within 6 to 12 months, with or without treatment, and a clear change usually takes 6 to 12 weeks of consistent exercise. It depends on how long it has been there and how irritable the tendon is at the start, so we measure grip strength at each review and you can see it changing. More on tennis elbow recovery time.
My elbow will not straighten after a cast. Is that permanent?
Not usually, though the elbow is one of the stiffer joints to recover. It is worth having the range measured rather than assumed. A joint that stopped improving is not always finished improving.
I have numbness in my little finger. Is that the elbow?
It can be. Cubital tunnel is compression of a nerve at the inside of the elbow and it often shows up as numbness or tingling in the ring and little fingers rather than elbow pain. It is assessed differently from tendon pain, so mention it when you book.
How long does elbow stiffness take to go away?
It depends on the cause. Stiffness after a cast or a simple dislocation usually improves most in the first 3 months of therapy and can keep improving for up to a year. An elbow that has stopped improving for several weeks needs its range measured and, sometimes, a surgeon’s review.
Can a physiotherapist help with elbow pain?
Yes. Physiotherapists and hand therapists assess and treat tendon, joint, ligament and nerve problems at the elbow, and stiffness after fractures and surgery. They do not inject, prescribe or order scans. If you need one of those, they refer you to a doctor and send their findings.
Which clinics treat elbow pain?
All five. Orchard, Tampines, Serangoon and Tanjong Pagar now, with Jurong East opening 25 October 2026.
Where we are
Clinics across Singapore
ORCHARD
400 Orchard Road #12-12
Orchard Towers, S238875
NS22 Orchard MRT
Physiotherapy and hand therapy in Orchard →
WhatsApp 8800 1830TAMPINES
9 Tampines Grande #01-20
Asia Green, S528735
EW2DT32 Tampines MRT
Physiotherapy and hand therapy in Tampines →
WhatsApp 8780 9608SERANGOON
265 Serangoon Central Drive #04-269
S550265 · Lift C only
NE12CC13 Serangoon MRT
Physiotherapy and hand therapy in Serangoon →
WhatsApp 8892 4121TANJONG PAGAR
10 Anson Road #02-77A
International Plaza, S079903
EW15 Tanjong Pagar MRT
Physiotherapy and hand therapy in Tanjong Pagar →
WhatsApp 8227 7074JURONG EAST
2 Venture Drive #02-02
Vision Exchange, S608526
NS1EW24 Jurong East MRT
Opening 25 October 2026
Physiotherapy and hand therapy in Jurong East →
WhatsApp 8242 7340Tell us what the elbow will not do
Which side it hurts, what brings it on, and whether anything travels into the hand. We will tell you which therapist treats it most often and which clinic they are at. If you have a surgeon’s letter or a scan report, send it in the same chat and we read it before you come in, at no charge.
Timelines are typical ranges; your surgeon’s or doctor’s instructions take precedence. Therapists assess, splint, exercise, educate and refer; doctors diagnose, inject, prescribe and order imaging. If we find something that needs medical review we refer you back to your doctor.
What our patients say
Google reviews from our clinics in Singapore.
