The Made 2 Move Podcast · Hannah Breal - Physical Therapist

Stop Icing It: The Real Fix for Tennis Elbow (a.k.a. Pickleball Elbow)

·36 min

The episode opens by saying the part nobody likes to admit: pain and injuries suck. It leans into the fear that the problem may never fully go away after trying different doctors and PTs without much change. From there, it asks the basic question behind tennis elbow: what does it actually mean, and what helps it improve? The host does not pretend there is a magic shortcut. Quick hacks and overnight fixes are not the answer. Some hands-on tools and other modalities can help things feel better for a bit, but they do not solve the whole problem. The real issue is the tendon and how it responds to stress. Tendons, as the episode puts it, only really listen to one language. That language is mechanical loading. The idea is pretty simple once it clicks. A tendon changes when it is challenged enough to adapt. It gets healthier when the load gives it something to work with. If the load is too low, it can get deconditioned. If the load is too high, it gets irritated and falls behind. The episode uses that balance to show why both total rest and pushing through pain can miss the point. It is not about doing nothing. It is not about forcing through everything either. It is about finding the right amount of stress so the tissue can recover and remodel. The host keeps coming back to the same idea from different angles so it sticks. First, calm things down. Then build them back up slowly. The episode also widens the frame a bit and points out that weaker shoulders can shift more force down into the elbow. That matters because the painful spot is not always the only place that needs attention. The goal is to make the tendon able to handle the load you actually live with. The tone stays direct and reassuring throughout. It is less about fear and more about giving the listener a workable way to think about recovery. If you want a clear explanation of why the elbow hurts and what actually helps it get better, this one stays focused on that job.

As heard by us

A plainspoken reset for elbow pain that favors lasting change over quick relief.

The piece treats tennis elbow as a problem of tendon loading rather than a vague ache, and it keeps circling back to a plain point: quick relief can help for a moment, but it does not finish the job.

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Why you'd press play

Your elbow pain needs a loading plan, not another quick fix.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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