Golfer’s Elbow isn’t just for Golfers
Despite its name, golfer’s elbow can affect anyone—not just golfers. This common condition causes pain on the inside of the elbow and can make everyday activities such as lifting, gripping, typing, or carrying objects uncomfortable. The good news? Most cases of golfer’s elbow respond well to conservative treatment, and physical therapy can play an important role in reducing pain, restoring strength, and helping you safely return to the activities you enjoy. Learn more about how golfer’s elbow isn’t just for golfers.
What Is Golfer’s Elbow?
Golfer’s elbow, medically known as medial epicondylalgia or medial epicondylitis, involves irritation and overload of the tendons that attach the forearm muscles to the inside of the elbow. These muscles help with gripping and bending the wrist, so repetitive or excessive use can place increased stress on their tendon attachment.
Although it is commonly associated with golf, golfer’s elbow can occur from many different activities, including:
- Golfing
- Tennis and other racquet sports
- Weightlifting
- Throwing sports
- Repetitive lifting or carrying
- Construction or manual labor
- Repetitive computer or desk activities
- Activities requiring frequent gripping or wrist movements
Common Symptoms of Golfer’s Elbow
The most common symptom is pain or tenderness on the inside of the elbow.
You may also notice:
- Pain with gripping or squeezing
- Pain when bending the wrist or fingers
- Pain when lifting objects
- Forearm soreness or tightness
- Decreased grip strength
- Pain during golf swings or other sporting activities
- Stiffness around the elbow
- Symptoms that worsen with repetitive activity
Pain may initially occur during activity but can become more persistent if the irritated tendon continues to be overloaded.
What Causes Golfer’s Elbow?
Golfer’s elbow is often related to repetitive loading of the forearm muscles and tendons. A sudden increase in activity can contribute, such as playing more rounds of golf than usual, increasing your weightlifting volume, or returning to a sport after a long break.
Other contributing factors can include:
- Sudden changes in training volume
- Repetitive gripping
- Poor technique or equipment setup
- Weakness of the forearm or upper extremity
- Limited wrist, elbow, or shoulder mobility
- Repetitive occupational activities
- Inadequate recovery between activities
Importantly, golfer’s elbow is not necessarily caused by one specific injury. It can develop gradually as the tendon is exposed to more load than it is currently able to tolerate.
How Is Golfer’s Elbow Diagnosed?
A physical therapist can perform a thorough evaluation to determine whether your symptoms are consistent with golfer’s elbow and identify factors contributing to your pain.
Your evaluation may include:
- Range of motion
- Strength testing
- Palpation
- Functional assessment (gripping, lifting, etc)
Your therapist will also consider other possible sources of inner elbow pain, including nerve irritation, joint problems, ligament injuries, or referred pain from the neck or shoulder.
How Can Physical Therapy Help Golfer’s Elbow?
Physical therapy focuses on addressing both your current symptoms and the factors that contributed to the problem in the first place. Treatment may include:
1. Activity Modification
You don’t necessarily have to stop all activity. Instead, your physical therapist can help you determine which activities or movements are currently irritating the tendon and modify them while maintaining as much activity as possible. For golfers, this may involve temporarily reducing the number of swings, modifying practice volume, or addressing aspects of your technique or equipment.
2. Progressive Strengthening
One of the most important components of rehabilitation is gradually improving the tendon’s ability to tolerate load.
Your therapist may prescribe exercises targeting:
- Wrist flexors
- Wrist extensors
- Forearm pronators and supinators
- Grip strength
- Elbow musculature
- Shoulder and upper-back muscles
Exercises may progress from gentle isometric contractions to more challenging resistance exercises as your symptoms improve.
3. Mobility Exercises
If limitations in your wrist, forearm, elbow, shoulder, or neck are contributing to increased stress on the area, your therapist may incorporate mobility exercises or manual therapy.
4. Manual Therapy
Depending on your individual presentation, treatment may include soft-tissue techniques, joint mobilization, or other hands-on techniques to help improve movement and decrease symptoms.
5. Return-to-Sport Training
For athletes and golfers, rehabilitation doesn’t end when everyday activities become pain-free.
Your therapist can gradually progress you back to:
- Practice swings
- Chipping and putting
- Shorter sessions
- Full golf swings
- Increased practice volume
- Full rounds of golf
The goal is to make sure your elbow can tolerate the demands of your sport before returning to your previous activity level.
How Long Does Golfer’s Elbow Take to Heal?
Recovery time varies depending on how long you’ve had symptoms, the severity of the condition, your activity level, and how well the tendon responds to progressive loading. Some people improve within several weeks, while more persistent cases can take several months to fully recover. The most important factor is often finding the appropriate balance between loading the tendon enough to build capacity while avoiding repeated aggravation.
Can You Prevent Golfer’s Elbow?
While it isn’t always possible to prevent golfer’s elbow, you can reduce your risk by gradually increasing activity and allowing adequate recovery.
Helpful strategies include:
- Warm up before playing or exercising.
- Gradually increase your golf or training volume.
- Strengthen your forearms and grip.
- Avoid sudden increases in repetitive activity.
- Use proper technique
- Make sure your golf equipment is appropriately fitted.
- Take recovery days when needed.
- Address pain early rather than repeatedly pushing through it.
When Should You See a Physical Therapist?
If inside-elbow pain is interfering with golf, exercise, work, or everyday activities—or if symptoms aren’t improving with activity modification—it may be time for an evaluation.
A physical therapist can help determine what is contributing to your symptoms and create an individualized treatment plan to help you reduce pain, regain strength, and return to the activities you enjoy.
If you’re experiencing persistent pain on the inside of your elbow, contact our physical therapy team to schedule an evaluation. We’ll work with you to identify the cause of your symptoms and develop a personalized plan to get you back to doing what you love.