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Taping Tennis Elbow yourself is a temporary solution that can help alleviate pain.

Taping Tennis Elbow by Yourself: How to Tape Tennis Elbow Like a Pro PT

Luke Ferdinands

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Tennis Elbow, or lateral epicondylitis, is a common condition that can cause significant pain and limit your daily activities. Fortunately, there are effective at-home solutions to manage this condition, one of which is taping.


In this post, we'll discuss how taping works, the four benefits of Tennis Elbow taping, and the best techniques to use, with a step-by-step guide to apply the Mulligan Taping method yourself.


We will also address some of the challenges of using taping to relieve Tennis Elbow and discuss our Tennis Elbow Brace, designed to let you replicate the expert tape job, without the learning curve.


Let's dive in.

How Tennis Elbow taping works

Effective  Tennis Elbow taping should alleviate the ECRB tendon
Effective Tennis Elbow taping should reduce the load on the ECRB tendon (source:Wikimedia Commons)

Taping for Tennis Elbow involves applying adhesive tape to the forearm and elbow to provide support, reduce pain, and promote healing. The primary mechanism through which taping works is by modifying the way forces are transmitted through the affected tendons, particularly the extensor carpi radialis brevis (ECRB) tendon, the tendon affected by Tennis Elbow.


There are several different methods, but in all methods, physical therapists create anchor points, then use those anchor points to apply a directional force to change how the damaged tendon is loaded when you grip and twist. The slight change in the load reduces pain, improves your grip strength, and promotes the healing process of the affected tendon.

Four benefits of Tennis Elbow taping

1. Pain relief

One of the immediate benefits of taping is pain relief. By providing support and reducing the load on the affected tendon, good Tennis Elbow taping can significantly reduce pain, allowing you to continue with your daily activities without discomfort.


Of course, this is a huge benefit to everyone with Tennis Elbow, but it's particularly welcome for those who need to perform job tasks that might otherwise trigger pain, such as lifting heavy objects, typing, or gripping tools.

2. Attenuation, or load modification

Luke demonstrating the attenuating effect of Tennis Elbow taping
Luke demonstrating the attenuating effect of Tennis Elbow taping

A well-placed Tennis Elbow tape job can alter the direction of stress on the ECRB tendon. This not only helps alleviate pain but also allows the tendon to heal by reducing the load it bears during activities.


This is called attenuation. With attenuation, taping helps distribute the forces more evenly across the elbow, preventing further injury and promoting recovery. The tape itself also takes on a small amount of load to further alleviate the tendon.

3. Improved proprioception

Proprioception refers to your awareness of where your body parts are in space. Taping can enhance proprioception by providing sensory feedback to the brain about the position and movement of the elbow and forearm. With good taping, many people also report being more aware of the individual muscles and tendons' movements within each of these body parts.


Improved proprioception helps you move your body in a more controlled and healthy way, which gives the tendon a much-needed break and reduces the risk of recurrence from improper form.

4. Active recovery

Effective taping for Tennis Elbow allows you to stay active while you recover. Who wouldn't want to continue exercising, participating in your favorite activities, and socializing?


This is important from the clinical standpoint, too, because staying active helps maintain strength and fitness of your whole body, as well as the elbow joint specifically. Treatment methods that overemphasize rest risk further weakening the tissue and lowering its capacity to manage the load and stress of your daily activities. 

The Mulligan Taping Method

The Mulligan Taping method is a widely used technique in physical therapy for treating Tennis Elbow. Developed by New Zealand physiotherapist Brian Mulligan, this method involves applying tape in a way that provides both support and pain relief.

How to tape Tennis Elbow: the Mulligan Method

  1. Preparation: Start by cleaning the skin around your elbow and forearm to ensure the tape adheres properly. Make sure the area is dry and free from oils or lotions.
  2. Anchor strip: Cut a strip of tape long enough to wrap around your forearm just below the elbow. Apply this strip with moderate tension, ensuring it is secure but not too tight.
  3. Support strip: Cut another strip of tape and apply it diagonally across the elbow, starting from the outer part of the forearm and crossing over the painful area. This strip should provide support to the ECRB tendon.
  4. Reinforcement: For added support, you can apply additional strips of tape parallel to the support strip, ensuring they overlap slightly to create a stable and secure taping job.
  5. Final check: Once the tape is applied, check for any discomfort or tightness. Adjust the tape if necessary to ensure it is comfortable and does not restrict circulation.

Problems of the taping for Tennis Elbow yourself

While the Mulligan Taping and other methods of Tennis Elbow taping are effective, taping comes with some major drawbacks:

Taping doesn't last

Many physical therapy elbow tape jobs, including the Mulligan method, tend to lose their effectiveness after 15-20 minutes of activity. Even high-quality KT tape for Tennis Elbow (kinesiology tape) can start to lose its stickiness within a few days. That means you'll have to reapply taping at least daily, if not more frequently.

Re-application is time-consuming

Frequent visits to a physical therapist or sports medicine practitioner for taping can be time-consuming and inconvenient, especially for those with busy schedules. This is before we get to the problem with cost!

Taping can irritate the skin

Taping can sometimes irritate the skin, particularly if you have sensitive skin. For older people or people with diabetes, this can be a major downside of using taping to help Tennis Elbow. Even for people with normal skin, prolonged use of adhesive tape can lead to redness, itching, and discomfort.

It's difficult to tape Tennis Elbow yourself

Applying tape to your own arm, especially on your dominant side, can be challenging. Ensuring the tape is correctly positioned and secure can be difficult without assistance.

An Alternative Solution: Tennis Elbow Brace

For those who find self-taping challenging or ineffective, a Tennis Elbow Brace designed to replicate an expert physical therapy tape job can be an excellent alternative.


One such solution is the elbow brace included in the Alleviate Tennis Elbow System, which replicates all the benefits of an expert taping for Tennis Elbow.

Alleviate Tennis Elbow Brace replicates the benefits of expert Tennis Elbow taping methodology
Alleviate Tennis Elbow Brace replicates the benefits of expert Tennis Elbow taping methodology

Non-slip honeycomb nodule: The non-slip silicone nodule ensures the brace stays in place and adheres lightly to the skin. The honeycomb design provides consistent support and precise attenuation, right on the ECRB tendon. With the Tennis Elbow Brace, you can maintain the benefits of taping without the need for frequent reapplication.


Counterforce strap: The adjustable counterforce strap helps relieve pain by applying a rotational force to the ECRB tendon, effectively modifying the load and reducing stress on the painful tendon. This is more effective than simply applying circumferential pressure.


This difference between simple circumferential pressure and load-modifying rotational force is a key difference that makes the Alleviate Tennis Elbow Brace more effective than Tennis Elbow compression sleeves and most other braces.

Key Takeaways for your recovery

Choose the Right Tape: Use high-quality tape for the best results. Ensure the tape is suitable for your skin type to avoid irritation.

Follow Instructions Carefully: Proper application is key to effective self-taping. Follow the step-by-step instructions for the Mulligan Taping method to ensure you get the maximum benefit.

Monitor Your Symptoms: Keep track of your pain levels and activity tolerance. If you notice any increase in pain or discomfort, adjust the tape or consider using a brace.

Stay Active: Follow therapeutic Tennis Elbow exercises and make sure to keep doing recreational activities that do not exacerbate your symptoms. Staying active helps maintain your tendon's capacity to handle load.

Use a Comprehensive Treatment Plan: Include progressive strengthening, a good brace, and scar tissue transformation in your treatment plan for full recovery.

Consider a Brace: If taping Tennis Elbow yourself is not providing the relief you need, consider using a Tennis Elbow brace designed to replicate the benefits of taping. This can be a more convenient and effective solution for managing Tennis Elbow.

Bring home the Tennis Elbow treatment that works

Alleviate was founded by a patient-and-clinician duo to bring the effective chronic pain treatment from physical therapy offices to everyone's home. With our Tennis Elbow System, that includes the Guided Recovery Program, you can use the Alleviate Method to recover from Tennis Elbow at home. No physical therapy training required!

Luke Ferdinands, physical therapist and Alleviate co-founder

Luke Ferdinands, Physical Therapist & Co-Founder


A New Zealand-trained physical therapist with over 20 years of experience, Luke developed the Alleviate Method to bring the gold standard of physical therapy care to everyone's home. Luke leads the development of physical tools and digital physical therapy content, focusing on driving clinical outcomes for people with chronic musculoskeletal pain conditions like Tennis Elbow, Plantar Fasciitis, Runner's Knee, and more.