Taping for tennis elbow uses kinesiology tape applied in a specific pattern over the outer elbow to reduce pain and support the overworked tendons. You’ll need two strips of kinesiology tape and about five minutes. The technique works by gently lifting the skin to improve circulation, reduce swelling, and take pressure off the inflamed tendon where your forearm muscles attach to the bony bump on the outside of your elbow.
What You’ll Need
Pick up a roll of kinesiology tape (KT Tape, RockTape, and similar brands all work). You’ll cut two strips: one full 10-inch strip and one full 10-inch strip cut in half, giving you three pieces total. Before applying anything, clean the area thoroughly. Your skin needs to be free of dirt, oils, sweat, and lotion. If you have hair on your forearm or around your elbow, shave the area first. Hair prevents the adhesive from gripping properly, and you’ll end up peeling off a half-stuck strip mid-activity.
If you’ve had skin reactions to adhesive tape before, apply a small patch of hypoallergenic undertape to the anchor points before laying down the kinesiology tape.
Step-by-Step Application
Start by bending your elbow to 90 degrees in front of your body, palm facing down. Find the point of pain on the outer elbow. This is the lateral epicondyle, the bony bump where your forearm extensor muscles connect. That’s your target for every strip.
Strip One: First Half of the X
Take your first half-strip. Peel the backing from the center, leaving the ends covered. Stretch the middle of the strip to about 80% tension and place it directly over the point of pain. Once the center is down, lay both ends flat with zero stretch. The ends are your anchors, and they should never be stretched or they’ll peel off quickly.
Strip Two: Completing the X
Take the second half-strip and repeat the same process, but rotate it so it crosses the first strip at a diagonal, forming an X pattern directly over the painful spot. Again, 80% stretch in the center, zero stretch on the ends. You now have an X sitting right on the epicondyle. This creates a targeted decompression zone that lifts the skin and underlying tissue over the inflamed tendon.
Strip Three: The Wrap
Take the full-length strip. Peel the first two inches of backing and stick that anchor on the upper arm, about an inch above the X, with no stretch. Now peel the rest of the backing and wrap the tape around the elbow, passing over the point of pain and continuing down toward the inner forearm. Use about 25% stretch through the middle section. For the last two inches, lay the tape down with zero stretch, just like the anchor end. This strip adds structural support and holds the X pattern in place during movement.
Once all three strips are down, press the tape gently with your palm to activate the heat-sensitive adhesive. Don’t rub it vigorously, as that can irritate the skin underneath.
The Diamond Technique (Rigid Tape)
If you prefer rigid athletic tape (the white, non-stretch kind used in sports medicine), there’s an alternative called the diamond technique. This method uses four tape strips laid in a diamond shape around the lateral epicondyle, pulling the surrounding soft tissue inward toward the painful spot. The pattern is then repeated with a second layer for added support. This approach provides firmer restriction than kinesiology tape, which makes it better suited for high-demand activities where you want to limit forearm muscle movement rather than just decompress the area. It does sacrifice range of motion, so it’s a tradeoff.
How Well Taping Actually Works
Taping won’t cure tennis elbow on its own, but the evidence supports it as a useful pain management tool, especially when combined with exercise. A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials found that kinesiology tape plus exercise reduced pain scores by a meaningful margin compared to both sham taping with exercise and exercise alone. Grip strength also improved by about 4 kilograms when tape was paired with a rehab program.
Compared head-to-head with a counterforce strap (the rigid band that wraps around your forearm), kinesiology tape performed similarly. A randomized trial comparing tape, a counterforce brace, and a cortisone injection found that all three reduced pain and tendon thickness at two and four weeks, with no significant difference between them. The counterforce brace did show slightly better results on a disability questionnaire, so if taping feels fiddly or doesn’t suit your activity, a strap is a solid alternative.
How Long to Wear the Tape
Remove kinesiology tape after 24 hours. Wearing it longer, particularly if it’s been soaked with sweat, raises the risk of skin irritation. If you shower with the tape on, peel it off while it’s still wet rather than letting it dry back onto your skin. Wet tape that re-adheres can cause redness and itching.
You can reapply fresh tape daily if it’s helping. Between applications, let your skin breathe for a few hours and inspect for redness or irritation. If itching or a rash develops, stop taping entirely. That’s a sign of adhesive sensitivity, and pushing through it will make things worse. Some people with sensitive skin do well with a hypoallergenic undertape layer at the anchor points, which are the spots most prone to irritation since they peel and tug with movement.
When Taping Isn’t Appropriate
Skip taping if you have a known allergy to adhesive tape, open wounds or broken skin around the elbow, or active skin conditions like eczema in the area. Taping is also not the right approach if your pain stems from a neck problem (cervical radiculopathy can mimic elbow pain), nerve damage, or arthritis in the elbow joint. If you’ve had recent elbow surgery or an acute injury like a fracture, tape won’t provide the right kind of support and could mask symptoms that need attention.
Getting the Most Out of Taping
Taping works best as one piece of a broader approach. The strongest evidence supports combining it with targeted exercises, particularly eccentric strengthening of the forearm extensors (slowly lowering a light weight with your palm facing down). The tape reduces pain enough during activity that you can perform rehab exercises and daily tasks with less discomfort, which is really its primary value.
A few practical tips: apply the tape 30 minutes before activity to let the adhesive fully bond. If you’re playing tennis or doing manual work, the 25% stretch wrap strip is especially important because it prevents the X strips from peeling during repetitive gripping motions. And when you remove the tape, peel it slowly in the direction of hair growth rather than ripping it off. Your skin will thank you.