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Go to the shopElbow Pain Taping Guide | Tennis Elbow, Golfer's Elbow, Bursitis, Cubital Tunnel
Kinesiology tape · Elbow
Elbow Tape: How to Tape an Elbow
How to tape an elbow with pre-cut kinesiology tape, for tennis elbow, golfer’s elbow, olecranon bursitis, distal biceps tendonitis, ulnar nerve entrapment (cubital tunnel) and hyperextension. Also sold as KT tape, K tape, kinesio tape and sports tape.
To tape an elbow you need two strips. Straighten the arm and bend the wrist down for tennis elbow, or up for golfer’s elbow. Anchor the first strip on the back of the wrist for tennis elbow, or the palm side for golfer’s elbow, and run it up the forearm to just past the sore bony point at 25% stretch. Lay the second strip directly across that sore point at 50 to 75% stretch. Wear it 5 to 7 days.
Is KT tape the same as kinesiology tape?
Yes, in ordinary use. Kinesiology tape is the product category. KT Tape is one American brand of it, and the name stuck as a generic term in the UK, alongside K tape, kinesio tape, sports tape and muscle tape. They all describe the same thing: elastic tape worn on the skin to support muscles and joints without restricting movement.
The elbow has three working compartments: the hinge between humerus and ulna, the radial head that lets you rotate, and the soft tissues around them. Nearly every muscle in the forearm attaches at one of two small bony points, so most elbow pain is tendon attachment irritation, which is exactly what the off-load strip suits. This page covers six of the most common elbow conditions, with the taping pattern for each.
3 rolls for £14.97, delivered free
Pre-cut 20 strips with a dispenser box. Beige shown — see all colours & designs. £4.95 delivery on 1 or 2 rolls.
How to apply kinesiology tape to the elbow, step by step
Position: Tennis elbow: arm straight, wrist bent down, tape the outside. Golfer’s elbow: arm straight, wrist bent up, tape the inside.
- Clean and dry the elbow and forearm.
- Take one I-strip. Stick one end on the back of the wrist (tennis elbow) or the palm side (golfer’s elbow), no stretch.
- Run the strip up the forearm to just past the sore bony point of the elbow at 25% stretch. Lay the last 3cm down with no stretch.
- Take a second I-strip. Tear the backing in the middle and apply the centre directly across the sore point at 50 to 75% stretch, ends down with no stretch. This is the strip that eases the pinch when you grip.
- Bend and straighten the elbow, then rub for 20 seconds.
- Tape is for the day-to-day. The fix is slow, heavy wrist curls and a break from whatever grip is causing it.
Strips2 per application
Stretch25% along the forearm, 50 to 75% across the elbow
Wear5 to 7 days
Per roll10 applications
Every strip is a pre-cut 5cm × 25cm I-strip from the dispenser box, 20 to a roll. Need a Y-strip? Cut one in 10 seconds. Anchors always go on with no stretch, and the tape comes off best in the shower, rolled back slowly along the hair. Basics for any area: how to apply kinesiology tape.
How many rolls of tape do I need for my elbow?
One roll to try it, three if you are treating tennis elbow properly. An elbow application takes two pre-cut strips and a roll holds 20, so ten applications, which is around two months at 5 to 7 days each. Elbow tendons take three to six months to settle, so three rolls for £14.97 delivered free is the honest starting quantity rather than one. A single roll is £4.99.
Common elbow conditions and their taping approach
Outer elbow
Tennis Elbow (Lateral Epicondylitis)
Pain on the bony point on the outer elbow that radiates down the back of the forearm, worse on gripping, lifting a kettle, shaking hands or a backhand stroke. Most cases come from work-related gripping: tradies, hairdressers, plumbers and mouse-heavy desk workers, not actual tennis.
Tape pattern: Strip 1 anchors at the back of the wrist and runs up the back of the forearm to just above the elbow at 25% stretch (apply with wrist bent forward). Strip 2 horizontal decompression across the painful lateral epicondyle at 75% stretch.
Full Tennis Elbow Guide →
Inner elbow
Golfer’s Elbow (Medial Epicondylitis)
Pain on the bony point on the inner elbow that radiates down the front of the forearm, worse on gripping, palm-up lifting and pulling movements. Common in golfers (trail arm), throwers, climbers, weightlifters doing chin-ups and deadlifts. About one-tenth as common as tennis elbow but treated very similarly.
Tape pattern: Strip 1 anchors at the front of the wrist and runs up the front of the forearm to just above the inner elbow at 25% stretch (apply with wrist bent back). Strip 2 horizontal decompression across the medial epicondyle at 75% stretch.
Full Golfer’s Elbow Guide →
Tip of elbow
Olecranon Bursitis (Student’s Elbow)
Soft, squishy swelling at the back tip of the elbow, sometimes painful but often just visibly puffy. The olecranon bursa, a fluid-filled cushion at the elbow tip, becomes inflamed from leaning on hard surfaces, a direct blow, or chronic friction. Common in students, draughtspeople, plumbers and wheelchair users. Most cases settle with padding and rest.
Tape pattern: Fan-strip lymphatic drainage, base anchored above the elbow, four thin tails fanning down over the swelling at 15% stretch only. Avoid putting any stretch through the bursa itself. See a GP if the swelling is hot, very red, or you have a fever, which could be an infection.
Full Bursitis Guide →
Front of elbow
Distal Biceps Tendonitis
Aching pain in the front of the elbow (the biceps tendon insertion on the radius), worse on chin-ups, palm-up curls, and lifting heavy in supinated grip. Often grumbles on for months in lifters who don’t vary grip. A sudden tear with a snap and a “Popeye” muscle balling up means a full rupture, which is surgical.
Tape pattern: Y-strip with base at the front of the elbow, tails fanning up the biceps muscle belly at 25% stretch (apply with elbow straight). Horizontal off-load strip across the tender tendon insertion at 50% stretch.
Nerve entrapment
Ulnar Nerve Entrapment (Cubital Tunnel)
Tingling, numbness or burning in the little finger and half of the ring finger, often worst at night with the elbow bent under the pillow. The ulnar nerve runs through the cubital tunnel on the inner elbow, the “funny bone”. Prolonged elbow flexion (sleeping, phone use, desk lean) compresses it. Cyclists with sustained handlebar grip also get it.
Tape pattern: Decompression Y-strip across the inner elbow with base on the upper arm and tails passing either side of the cubital tunnel at 75% stretch (apply with elbow straight). Lifts skin off the nerve. Combine with a sleep brace that keeps the elbow extended at night.
Joint capsule
Elbow Hyperextension
Pain in the front and inner elbow after the joint is forced past its straight position: a fall on an outstretched arm, a missed catch, or a martial-arts armbar. The anterior joint capsule and brachialis muscle get overstretched. Bruising and swelling at the elbow crease, painful end-of-range straightening.
Tape pattern: “X” pattern across the front of the elbow crease, two strips crossing diagonally at 50% stretch with the elbow held at 10° of flexion. Provides end-range support against further hyperextension without restricting working range.
Which colour tape for the elbow
Beige disappears under a shirt sleeve at work, which is where most tennis elbow comes from in the first place. £4.99 a roll, 3 rolls £14.97 delivered free anywhere in the UK, same-day dispatch before 3pm. Mix colours and designs on the order counter.
From £4.99 per pack
Shop 10 Plain ColoursShop Talisman DesignsHow do you tape a tennis elbow?
Tape the outside of the arm, with the wrist bent down. Straighten the arm, bend the wrist towards the floor to put the extensor tendons on stretch, then anchor a strip on the back of the wrist and run it up the outside of the forearm to just past the sore bony point at 25% stretch. Lay a second strip straight across that sore point at 50 to 75% stretch: that is the one that eases the pinch when you grip. Tennis elbow mostly comes from work, not tennis, so the tape buys you comfort while slow, heavy wrist extensions fix it.
How do you tape a golfer’s elbow?
Same two strips, mirrored to the inside of the arm. Straighten the arm and bend the wrist up, so the flexor tendons on the inside are on stretch. Anchor a strip on the palm side of the wrist, run it up the inside of the forearm to just past the sore inner bony point at 25% stretch, and cross it with a second strip over that point at 50 to 75% stretch. The rehab mirrors it too: slow wrist curls palm up instead of palm down.
How kinesiology tape helps the elbow
The elbow is a tendon-attachment hotspot: almost every muscle in the forearm attaches to a small patch of bone at the elbow, which is why overuse so often shows up as a sore epicondyle. Three mechanisms make tape effective. First, longitudinal off-load: a strip up the back or front of the forearm shares pulling force away from the irritated attachment. Second, decompression at the painful point: a higher-stretch horizontal strip across the epicondyle lifts skin and may reduce local pressure on inflamed tissue. Third, proprioceptive cueing: the tape reminds the brain to grip less tightly and to move from the shoulder rather than the wrist, mechanical changes that take repetition to become automatic.
For tennis and golfer’s elbow specifically, tape buys you tolerance during the heavy slow resistance phase that actually rebuilds the tendon. Tape is an adjunct, not a fix: the eccentric loading is what changes the tendon.
Recovery beyond taping
- Eccentric wrist extensions (for tennis elbow): 3 × 15 slow 4-second lowers with a light dumbbell, daily. Best evidence intervention.
- Eccentric wrist flexions (for golfer’s elbow): same protocol, palm up.
- Forearm stretches: extensors and flexors, 30 seconds × 3, three times daily.
- Counterforce strap just below the painful epicondyle during sport or heavy gripping.
- Workstation audit: vertical mouse, split keyboard, elbow padded if you lean while typing.
- Sleep with elbow extended for cubital tunnel: a towel rolled around the elbow taped with a tubigrip works as a DIY brace.
- Avoid leaning on the elbow tip for bursitis: padded sleeves help.
When to see a physio, GP or A&E: hot red swollen elbow with fever (possible septic bursitis, go to A&E), sudden snap with Popeye-shaped muscle bulge (distal biceps rupture, which is surgical), numbness or weakness that doesn’t resolve (nerve compression), grip strength visibly weaker than the other side, deformity after a fall, or pain not improving with 6–8 weeks of rehab. Persistent “funny bone” tingling needs nerve assessment.
Can you lift weights with kinesiology tape on your elbow?
Yes, and it is one of the main reasons people tape an elbow. The tape does not restrict the hinge, so pressing and pulling feel normal. Drop the working weight by 30 to 50% while the tendon is symptomatic, build back gradually, and put the slow eccentric lowers in: those are what change the tendon, not the tape. If a lift produces sharp pain through the tape, that lift is too heavy.
Can you shower with kinesiology tape on your elbow?
Yes. The tape is water resistant, so a shower will not lift it. Pat it dry with a towel rather than rubbing. It is not waterproof, so repeated swimming will shorten the wear. Long sleeves protect the edges, which is why elbow tape often lasts the full week.
How long does kinesiology tape last on the elbow?
5 to 7 days, through showers, sweat and training. The elbow crease folds every time you bend the arm, so that is where an edge lifts first. Rub the tape for 20 seconds after applying to warm the adhesive, round the corners of every strip with scissors, and keep the anchors off the crease itself. Remove it in the shower, rolling it back slowly along the hair.
Frequently asked questions about elbow taping
Tape or counterforce strap for tennis elbow?
Both, ideally. Tape gives the soft-tissue off-load and decompression. A counterforce strap unloads the tendon attachment during activity. Apply tape first, strap over the top during sport.
How long does tennis elbow take to settle?
With tape, eccentric loading and load management, most cases settle in 3–6 months. Without rehab, 1–2 years is normal. The condition is self-limiting eventually, but rehab dramatically shortens it.
My elbow tip is squishy and swollen but not very painful, is that bursitis?
Classic olecranon bursitis presentation. If it’s not red, hot or feverish, it usually settles with padding, avoiding pressure on the elbow tip, and lymphatic taping. If it’s hot, red, or you feel unwell, see a GP same-day to rule out infection.
Tingling in my little finger at night, is that cubital tunnel?
Likely. The ulnar nerve compresses with prolonged elbow flexion (sleeping curled up, phone in hand). Try a soft elbow brace at night that keeps the elbow straight, plus the decompression tape pattern. If symptoms persist or hand strength weakens, see a physio.
Browse all 19 taping guides
From neck pain to plantar fasciitis, step-by-step guides for every common condition.
All Pain Guides →Taping guides for every body area
- Neck
- Shoulder
- Upper back
- Lower back
- Upper arm
- Elbow
- Forearm
- Hand & wrist
- Abdominal & core
- Pregnancy
- Thigh
- Knee
- Shin & calf
- Ankle
- Foot
- Face
Sixteen body-area guides, one tape. All pain and injury guides · Which kinesiology tape to buy in the UK · Build your order
Tape for this area
Pre-cut 20 strips with a dispenser box. 3 rolls for £14.97, delivered free — 6 for £22.99 delivered. Free UK delivery on 3 rolls or more, £4.95 on 1 or 2.
See all 26 colours and designs →
Not sure which to buy? Read the UK buyer’s guide · Mix colours and designs on the counter
