Tennis Elbow
Tennis elbow treatment in The Villages, FL for pain every time you grip, lift, or swing.
If the outside of your elbow stings when you grip a coffee cup, shake hands, or swing a racquet, that is tennis elbow. On the inside, it is golfer's elbow. Both are tendon repair problems, and both respond to the same tools.
Treated by Dr. Christopher Cheshire, MS, AP, LAc, DOM, NCCAOM board certified, 22 years in The Villages. Medical oversight by Dr. Thomas Phipps, MD. Meet the providers
In short: Tennis elbow and golfer's elbow treatment in The Villages FL. Shockwave, laser, and acupuncture that rebuild the tendon so gripping stops hurting. If the outside of your elbow stings when you grip a coffee cup, shake hands, or swing a racquet, that is tennis elbow.
What Is Going On
An overworked tendon, not an inflamed one.
The muscles that control your grip and wrist anchor to two small points on the elbow. Every grip, lift, and swing loads those anchors. When micro damage accumulates faster than the tendon repairs it, the tissue at the attachment degenerates and the repair process stalls. Outside of the elbow, tennis elbow. Inside, golfer's elbow.
Despite the names, most cases here come from pickleball, golf, gardening, and gripping work, not tennis. And despite the itis, chronic cases are degeneration rather than inflammation, which is why anti inflammatories and rest calm it temporarily and the first week back brings it straight back.
The grip tells the story. The tendon is loaded by every squeeze of the hand, which is why something as small as a coffee cup or a handshake can sting. Until the tissue itself remodels, everyday gripping keeps re irritating it.
How We Treat It
Four tools, matched to your case.
No single therapy fits every elbow. These are the four we use. Which ones you get, and in what combination, is decided at your exam.
Shockwave therapy
Acoustic pressure waves delivered to the tendon attachment break up disorganized tissue and restart the remodeling process. It is the tool with the strongest track record for elbow tendinopathy that has outlasted rest, straps, and cortisone. How shockwave works.
Laser therapy
Low level laser raises cellular energy and circulation at the attachment without any mechanical stress. Painless, and used alongside the other therapies. How laser works.
Acupuncture and dry needling
Elbow pain rarely lives at the elbow alone. Needling releases the forearm muscles pulling on the attachment and calms the signaling that keeps the elbow feeling fragile. How acupuncture works.
Acupuncture injections
Anti inflammatory and regenerative injectables placed precisely at the attachment and surrounding points, used when the tissue needs more support than needling alone provides. How injection therapy works.
What To Expect
A typical plan.
We confirm it is the tendon
Elbow pain can also come from the neck, a nerve, or the joint itself. We examine the elbow, the forearm, and your history before treating anything.
We choose the therapies
Shockwave, laser, acupuncture, and injections all treat this condition. Which ones lead comes out of the exam, and we will tell you what we recommend and why.
You keep playing, with guidance
Tendon rebuilds in response to load. We tell you what to keep doing, what to scale back, and which grip and forearm work supports the treatment between visits.
We check progress honestly
Grip strength and the coffee cup test are easy to track. If the plan is working, you will feel it. If it is not, we adjust it or tell you plainly what we recommend instead.
Is This You
A strong fit for this care.
This approach tends to work best when:
- The elbow pain has been present for more than three months.
- Gripping, lifting, or shaking hands stings.
- It flares with pickleball, golf, or gardening and eases with rest, then returns.
- A strap, rest, or a cortisone shot has been tried.
- You want to keep playing rather than give up the sport.
When it is something else. Numbness or tingling running into the fingers points to a nerve rather than the tendon, a sudden pop with sharp pain can mean a tendon rupture, and pain spreading from the neck down the arm starts higher up. We screen for all of these at the consultation.
Cost, Insurance and Visits
Tennis Elbow Treatment cost and insurance in The Villages.
What sets the cost
Elbow tendons respond to shockwave, usually with laser and dry needling. Shockwave is priced per session and quoted as a series.
Insurance
It depends on the therapy. Acupuncture visits are covered by many insurance plans and we check yours before the first appointment. Shockwave, laser, injections, peptides and NAD+ are self pay, and you will know the price of each before you agree to it.
How many visits
Weekly shockwave for three to six weeks. Most patients keep using the arm with small adjustments during treatment.
Your first 20 minute consultation is free, and no referral is needed. Call 352-430-2720. Insurance and payment details.
Common Questions
Tennis Elbow, answered.
The Tools We Use
Related services.
Further reading: American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: rotator cuff tears ยท MedlinePlus: rotator cuff injuries.
In The Treatment Room
Shockwave, aimed at the attachment.
The shockwave unit delivers an acoustic stimulus directly into the tendon attachment and the forearm muscles pulling on it, a few minutes per site, usually across a short series of visits.
Patient Reviews
What patients say on Google.
Dr. Cheshire is rated 4.6 of 5 on Healthgrades from 11 patient ratings as of October 2026 (Healthgrades profile). The quotes above are from Google.
Clinical Review
Reviewed by our clinical team
Written and clinically reviewed by Dr. Christopher Cheshire, MS, AP, LAc, DOM (NCCAOM board certified). Last reviewed September 2026. Content updated November 3, 2026.
- Wang CJ. Extracorporeal shockwave therapy in musculoskeletal disorders. Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery and Research. 2012;7:11.
- Trinh KV, Phillips SD, Ho E, Damsma K. Acupuncture for the alleviation of lateral epicondyle pain: a systematic review. Rheumatology. 2004;43(9):1085-1090.
These references describe the general body of research behind the approaches we use. They are not claims about your individual outcome, and they are not a substitute for an evaluation.
Where We Treat
Tennis and golfer's elbow treatment in The Villages, Florida.
Our clinic is at 910 Old Camp Road, Suite 162, on the ground floor with step-free access and free parking at the door. Most patients drive in from The Villages and the surrounding Lake, Sumter, and Marion county communities.
Address910 Old Camp Road, Suite 162
The Villages, FL 32162
Phone352-430-2720
HoursMonday to Thursday, 7 AM to 3 PM
Friday, 7 AM to 12 PM
Getting hereGround floor, step-free entry. Look for the ACUPUNCTURE sign on the porch. Directions
Communities We See Patients From
Start Here
Grip, lift, and swing without the sting.
Schedule a free 20 minute consultation and we will tell you which of our tools fits your elbow, and whether we can help at all.