Golfer's Elbow vs. Tennis Elbow: Symptoms and How to Treat It
Golfer's elbow is pain on the inside of the elbow from overused forearm tendons, while tennis elbow is the same problem on the outside. They are treated similarly, but telling them apart correctly matters, because mixing up the exercises can slow your recovery. Here is how to tell which one you have and what actually helps.
Golfer's Elbow Or Tennis Elbow: What Is The Difference?
Both are overuse injuries to the tendons at the elbow, and both show up far more often in non-athletes than the names suggest. The difference is simply which side hurts and which muscles are involved.
| Golfer's Elbow (Medial Epicondylitis) | Tennis Elbow (Lateral Epicondylitis) | |
|---|---|---|
| Pain location | Inside of the elbow, can shoot toward the wrist | Outside of the elbow |
| Tendons involved | Flexor and pronator tendons, especially the pronator teres | Extensor tendons, especially extensor carpi radialis brevis |
| Typical trigger | Repetitive wrist flexion and gripping, golf swing, throwing | Repetitive wrist extension, backhand, gripping with the wrist cocked back |
| Other clue | Can involve numbness or tingling in the ring and little fingers from nearby ulnar nerve irritation | Usually no nerve symptoms |
You Do Not Need To Play Golf To Get Golfer's Elbow
Most of the golfer's elbow we see at our San Francisco locations has nothing to do with a golf swing. Typing, lifting, climbing stairs while carrying a bag, carrying a toddler, and repetitive kitchen or trade work all load the same flexor tendons. The name describes the motion, not the sport.
What Causes Golfer's Elbow?
Golfer's elbow develops from repeated stress on the tendons that flex the wrist and rotate the forearm, usually from a task done often enough that the tendon cannot keep up with the microtears and repair cycle. Risk rises with age over 40, more than two hours a day of repetitive gripping or lifting, and, independent of activity level, with obesity, diabetes, and smoking, all of which affect how well tendon tissue heals.
What Are The Symptoms Of Golfer's Elbow?
Golfer's elbow tends to build gradually over weeks rather than appear after one incident. Common symptoms include:
- Pain or a burning sensation on the inner elbow, sometimes radiating into the forearm
- Weak grip strength, often the first thing people notice when shaking hands or opening jars
- Stiffness and reduced range of motion in the elbow and wrist
- Numbness or tingling in the ring and little fingers, if the nearby ulnar nerve is irritated
- Pain that worsens with gripping, lifting with the palm up, or flexing the wrist against resistance
How Is Golfer's Elbow Treated Without Surgery?
The large majority of golfer's elbow responds to conservative care, usually built around these steps:
- Rest and activity modification: easing off the specific grip or lift pattern that is loading the tendon, without going completely inactive.
- Ice and bracing: short icing sessions for symptom relief, plus a counterforce brace or wrist support to offload the tendon during the activities you cannot avoid.
- Graston technique: instrument-assisted soft tissue work along the flexor-pronator tendons to break up restricted tissue and improve local blood flow. We use it as an adjunct to loading exercise rather than a stand-alone fix, since the evidence for IASTM is still building, but in-clinic it is often what gets a stalled recovery moving again.
- Shockwave therapy: focused acoustic wave pulses delivered to the damaged tendon fibers to stimulate blood flow and collagen repair. Along with Graston technique, this is one of the two therapies we lean on most for golfer’s elbow that has not settled with rest and bracing alone, since it targets the degenerated tendon tissue directly rather than just working around the pain.
- Progressive strengthening: starting with gentle stretching, then moving into eccentric and isometric loading of the flexor-pronator group. Exercise therapy has solid evidence behind it for tendon pain at the elbow generally, even though research has not shown eccentric loading to outperform other well-built strengthening programs.
We are cautious about steroid injections here. Some research suggests they can lengthen rehab time and may worsen tendon health over the longer term, even though they can ease pain in the short term.
Could It Actually Be Tennis Elbow Instead?
If your pain is on the outside of the elbow rather than the inside, you are likely dealing with tennis elbow, not golfer's elbow. The two are close cousins, both tendon overuse injuries at the elbow, but the muscles involved and the specific loading exercises differ. Read our full breakdown of tennis elbow for the lateral-side version of this same problem, including causes and treatment specific to that side.
Common Questions
How long does golfer's elbow take to heal?
Mild cases often settle within four to six weeks with rest and a structured strengthening program. More established cases can take two to three months, and consistency with the exercises matters more than any single treatment.
Can I still work out with golfer's elbow?
Usually yes, with modifications. We typically have people avoid heavy gripping, pulling, and curling movements that load the flexor tendons directly, while keeping up lower-body and cardio work, then reintroduce grip-heavy lifts gradually as symptoms calm down.
Why does my pinky and ring finger feel numb with golfer's elbow?
The ulnar nerve runs directly behind the medial epicondyle, right where golfer's elbow develops, so swelling and irritation in that area can press on the nerve. This is one of the clearest ways to tell golfer's elbow apart from tennis elbow, which does not typically involve nerve symptoms.
Does Graston technique actually help golfer's elbow?
It can, as part of a broader plan. Early research on instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization shows short-term improvements in pain and grip strength, though the evidence base is still developing. We use it to help loosen restricted tissue so that strengthening exercises, which carry the strongest evidence overall, are more effective and less painful to perform.
Do I need an X-ray or MRI for golfer's elbow?
Not usually. Golfer's elbow is typically diagnosed from the history and a physical exam. Imaging is more useful if symptoms are not responding to a few months of appropriate treatment, or if there is concern about a different underlying issue.
Sources
- American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, OrthoInfo. "Medial Epicondylitis (Golfer's Elbow)." Referenced for the affected tendons, the nonsurgical treatment hierarchy, and the caution on corticosteroid injections.
- Mayo Clinic. "Golfer's elbow." Referenced for risk factors, including age, repetitive motion load, and the role of diabetes and smoking in tendon healing.
- Karanasios, S. et al. "The Beneficial Effects of Eccentric Exercise in the Management of Lateral Elbow Tendinopathy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis," 2021. Referenced for the evidence supporting exercise therapy as a core treatment for elbow tendinopathy.
This information is educational and does not replace a one-on-one evaluation. If you are not sure whether you are dealing with golfer's elbow, tennis elbow, or something else, we would rather confirm it in person than have you guess at the wrong exercises.
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