Elbow Treatments For Tennis Players

Golden Hands Pilates is located in Ho Chi Minh City, and was founded in 8/1/05. 

This business is working in the following industry: Day spas.

Ask for Ms. Sang when you make your appointment for elbow massage treatment

To make appointments, send a message on WhatsApp or Zalo at 0903900690

Morning sunlight moves slowly through the busy streets of Ho Chi Minh City, warming the sidewalks and shopfronts as the city wakes. Motorbikes hum past in long streams, street vendors arrange fruit and coffee, and office workers hurry toward their jobs. On a quiet side street not far from the center of the city stands a health center called Golden Hands. Inside this clinic works Ms. Sang, a deep tissue massage therapist who is well known among athletes for her careful and effective rehabilitation treatments.

Ms. Sang arrives early every morning. At seven thirty she unlocks the glass door of the clinic and steps inside the peaceful reception area. The air is cool and calm compared to the lively streets outside. Soft instrumental music plays through the speakers, and the smell of herbal oil from the previous day’s treatments still floats gently through the rooms.

She turns on the lights and begins her daily preparation. Clean white towels are stacked neatly on the massage tables. She checks the bottles of massage oil and herbal balm, making sure they are full. She adjusts the height of one table and places a small pillow where a patient’s arm can rest comfortably. Every detail matters to her. A good treatment begins long before the patient arrives.

Today one of her first patients is a tennis player named Michael. Michael plays competitive amateur tennis at a local sports club, and over the last few weeks he has developed pain in his right elbow. The constant swinging of the racket during training has caused irritation in the muscles and tendons around the joint. When the pain became strong enough to affect his serve and backhand, his coach suggested he visit Golden Hands.

At eight o’clock Michael walks into the clinic wearing sports shorts, a loose T-shirt, and a baseball cap. He greets Ms. Sang politely and sits down in the reception chair while she prepares a cup of warm herbal tea for him.

“Good morning, Michael,” she says with a calm smile. “How is the elbow today?”

“It feels stiff,” he replies. “Especially when I extend the arm or hold the racket tightly.”

Ms. Sang nods. She has treated many tennis players with similar problems. The elbow joint is small but complex. Many muscles from the forearm attach near this joint, and repetitive movements can easily create tightness and inflammation.

She invites Michael into the treatment room. The room is simple and peaceful. A massage table stands in the center, with a small stool beside it. Soft lighting creates a relaxed atmosphere, and a small fan moves the air slowly across the room.

Before beginning the massage, Ms. Sang performs a careful assessment. She asks Michael to move his arm in different directions. He bends the elbow, straightens it, rotates the forearm, and gently squeezes an imaginary tennis racket.

Ms. Sang watches closely. She also touches the muscles around the elbow and forearm to locate areas of tension.

“I can feel tightness here,” she says as she presses gently along the outer part of the elbow. “The muscles that help extend your wrist and stabilize the racket are working too hard.”

Michael nods. “That’s exactly where the pain appears during a strong serve.”

Ms. Sang explains that today’s session will focus on deep tissue work using slow pressure and controlled elbow techniques. These methods allow her to reach deeper layers of muscle where chronic tension often hides.

Michael lies down on the massage table and rests his arm on the small pillow. Ms. Sang washes her hands and warms a small amount of herbal oil between her palms. The treatment begins with light strokes along the forearm. These strokes increase circulation and prepare the muscles for deeper work.

Her movements are slow and steady. She slides her hands from the wrist toward the elbow, following the natural direction of the muscle fibers. After several minutes the tissue begins to soften.

“Tell me if any pressure becomes too strong,” she reminds him.

“So far it feels good,” Michael says.

Once the muscles have warmed, Ms. Sang changes her technique. Instead of using only her hands, she begins to use the point of her elbow to apply deeper pressure along the thick muscles of the forearm. This method is common in deep tissue massage because the elbow allows controlled, focused pressure without straining the therapist’s hands.

She positions her elbow carefully and slowly leans her body weight forward. The pressure sinks gradually into the muscle. Michael feels a strong but relieving sensation, as if tight knots inside the arm are slowly loosening.

“This area might feel intense,” Ms. Sang says softly. “But the pressure should always feel helpful, not painful.”

Michael breathes slowly and relaxes his shoulder. “It feels strong but good.”

Ms. Sang moves slowly along the length of the muscle. Each movement lasts several seconds. She never rushes. Deep tissue therapy requires patience, awareness, and precise control.

As she works, she explains what she is doing.

“These muscles connect your wrist and elbow,” she says. “When you grip the racket during long practice sessions, they remain active for many hours. Small fibers inside the muscle can develop adhesions, which feel like tight bands. My job is to soften those areas so the muscle can move smoothly again.”

Michael listens with interest. Like many athletes, he has always focused on training but has not always understood how important recovery and body care can be.

After several minutes Ms. Sang changes position again. She gently bends Michael’s elbow and rotates his forearm while applying pressure with her thumb near the tendon attachments. This technique combines stretching and compression.

The tissue slowly responds. The stiffness that Michael felt earlier begins to decrease.

“You may feel warmth spreading through the arm,” she says.

“Yes,” Michael replies. “It feels like the joint is becoming lighter.”

Outside the clinic the city is now fully awake. Traffic flows through the streets, and the sound of distant horns occasionally reaches the treatment room. But inside Golden Hands the atmosphere remains calm.

Ms. Sang continues her work with careful concentration. She uses her elbow again, this time along the larger muscles closer to the upper forearm. Her movements follow the direction of the fibers, allowing the pressure to travel naturally through the tissue.

Michael occasionally breathes deeply when she finds a particularly tight area.

“That spot is exactly where the pain appears during a backhand,” he says.

Ms. Sang nods. “That means we have found an important point.”

She holds steady pressure for several seconds. Gradually the tension releases beneath her elbow.

Deep tissue therapy often works like this. Instead of quick movements, the therapist waits patiently for the muscle to respond. Over time the tissue softens and circulation improves.

After about thirty minutes of focused elbow work, Ms. Sang transitions to lighter techniques again. She uses both hands to gently knead the forearm muscles and encourage blood flow.

The skin becomes slightly warm and pink, a sign that circulation is increasing.

She then guides Michael through a few small mobility exercises. He slowly opens and closes his hand, rotates the wrist, and bends the elbow.

“How does it feel now?” she asks.

Michael flexes his arm carefully. “It feels smoother,” he says with surprise. “The stiffness is much less.”

Ms. Sang smiles. “That is a good sign. But remember, one treatment helps start the recovery process. You should also stretch and rest the arm after intense training.”

She shows him a simple stretch. Michael extends his arm forward while gently bending the wrist downward with the other hand.

“This stretch lengthens the muscles we just treated,” she explains. “Hold it for fifteen seconds and repeat several times after practice.”

The session continues with a final stage of relaxation massage. Ms. Sang uses long, flowing strokes from the wrist to the elbow and slightly above, helping the arm feel balanced and comfortable.

For Michael the experience is deeply relaxing. The earlier discomfort has changed into a pleasant sense of warmth and freedom of movement.

When the session finishes, he sits up slowly and rotates his arm again.

“I did not expect such a difference after one session,” he says.

“Your body responds well,” Ms. Sang replies. “But remember to listen to it. Tennis is a demanding sport.”

Michael thanks her sincerely and schedules another appointment for the following week. As he leaves the clinic, he feels optimistic about returning to the court without pain.

For Ms. Sang the day continues. Several other patients arrive throughout the morning. Some are office workers with tight shoulders from long hours at a computer. Others are recreational athletes with tired legs or stiff backs.

Each patient requires a slightly different approach, but the same principles guide her work: careful observation, steady pressure, and respect for the body’s natural healing ability.

Around noon she takes a short break. She drinks tea in the small staff room and writes brief notes about Michael’s treatment in his patient file. These notes help her track progress and adjust future sessions.

The afternoon brings another tennis player, this time with wrist tension. Later a runner arrives with tight calf muscles.

Through all these treatments Ms. Sang maintains the same calm focus. Her years of experience allow her to feel subtle changes in muscle tone and understand how different movements affect the body.

By early evening the sunlight outside turns golden, reflecting off the buildings of Ho Chi Minh City. Traffic begins to slow as people return home.

Inside Golden Hands the final patient leaves with a grateful smile.

Ms. Sang cleans the massage tables, folds fresh towels, and closes the bottles of oil. The clinic becomes quiet again.

Before turning off the lights, she pauses for a moment in the treatment room. Helping people move without pain gives her a deep sense of satisfaction. Whether the patient is an athlete like Michael or an office worker with sore shoulders, the goal is always the same: restore balance to the body.

She locks the door and steps back into the warm evening air of the city.

Motorbikes pass by, street food vendors prepare dinner, and the rhythm of Ho Chi Minh City continues.

Tomorrow morning Ms. Sang will return to Golden Hands, ready once again to use her skill, patience, and strong but careful elbow techniques to help her patients recover, move freely, and continue the activities they love.