I am also at a loss to understand why treatment would be offered when the patient's symptoms are not understood. As well as assessing the local structures with resisted static contraction, joint rom, stretch and palpation one should do your quick tests as per the clinical reasoning model. It is common knowledge that other structures will refer and should be tested. It is relatively easy here to organise ultrasound investigations of the affected area and that will help in determining pathology that is present from tendon damage to entrapment of the posterior interosseous nerve. Excessive lateral glide of the proximal radius is also relatively easy to assess manually and is often a cause. That is when taping is particuarly effective. As for the overuse part I have found that overuse does not usually consist of when"gentle repeated movements are made ( ie moving the computer mouse)." Rather my client base are process workers, vineyard workers, timber workers and data entry workers. All use their hand in different ways. However prolonged (over many hours, day after day) of near isometric contraction of the dorsal musculature (not movement) does lead to pain and breakdown of musculotendinous strutures (think ischaemia). My own elbow is sore after a weekend using the chainsaw. In another life I was a compositor and worked a linotype machine. It had a mechanical keyboard which we pounded all day long. With the advent of computerised typesetting and the move to electronic keyboards many staff complained of lateral epicondylitis. The difference was the lack of movement required by the new keyboards-not increased movement! As part of a treatment plan I believe patient education is vital. The patient cannot be educated unless they understand the precipitating and aggravating causes of their problem. That cannot happen unless the therapist understands the mechanism. Treatment cannot be applied unless the therapist understands the pathology of the complaint. To do otherwise is to be entertaining the patient while nature takes its course.