Treatment to Heal From Golfer’s Elbow

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Golfer’s elbow, also known as medial epicondylitis, is a painful condition that occurs when a tendon near the elbow is subjected to repetitive forces. While this issue may occur in golfers, it can happen to anyone and cause pain that spans from the wrist to the elbow on the inside of your arm.

This article will explain this common condition and will outline the steps to take to get back to normal.

An illustration with how to treat golfer's elbow

Illustration by Zoe Hansen for Verywell Health

Common Causes

Careers involving repetitive grasping or twisting and sports involving throwing or gripping are associated with golfer’s elbow.

Is Inner Elbow Pain a Symptom of Golfer’s Elbow?

There are several distinct symptoms that may indicate you have golfer’s elbow. These include:

  • Pain along the inner elbow on the little-finger side of the forearm
  • Soreness with grasping or pulling motions
  • Difficulty fully straightening the elbow
  • Tenderness that worsens with repetitive activities (like throwing or golfing) and improves with rest

The presence of these symptoms often suggests you have medial epicondylitis. However, these complaints can also point to a more serious condition like an avulsion fracture (when a bone fracture attached to a ligament or tendon separates from the rest of the bone) or an ulnar collateral ligament injury (injury to a ligament on the inside of the elbow).

Because making the proper diagnosis can be tricky, it is important to see a healthcare provider if you are having any of these symptoms.

How Does Golfer’s Elbow Happen?

Golfer’s elbow occurs when repetitive movements cause the common flexor tendon to become inflamed (called tendonitis) or damaged (known as tendinosis). This structure connects four wrist and forearm muscles (the pronator teres, flexor carpi radialis, palmaris longus, and flexor carpi ulnaris) to the inner part of the elbow.

Activities that flex the wrist toward the palm or rotate the forearm to a palm-down position load this tendon. Repetitively making these movements can cause the structure to get acutely irritated or to degenerate over time. Common activities that cause medial epicondylitis include:

  • Throwing in baseball
  • Golfing
  • Serving in tennis
  • Carrying a heavy suitcase
  • Using an ax to chop wood
  • Throwing a javelin
  • Repetitive hand-tool use

How to Treat Golfer’s Elbow Pain

Conservative therapies such as the following are first-line treatments for golfer’s elbow:

Unfortunately, in some cases these first-line treatments are ineffective and more invasive interventions are needed. Among the most widely-utilized options are:

Because of the wide variety of interventions that are available, it is important to work with a trusted medical professional to develop an effective treatment plan.

What’s the Recovery Time for Golfer’s Elbow?

Around 85% to 95% of people with golfer’s elbow respond to nonsurgical treatments. Unfortunately for these individuals, however, recovery can take time. In fact, the symptoms of medial epicondylitis may persist for up to a year before they fully resolve.

Because this condition can be pesky, it is important to give your initial treatments sufficient time to work. If your pain is not improving after three to 12 months of conservative interventions, your healthcare provider may recommend a surgical procedure to address your symptoms.

Physical Therapy, Exercise, and Golfer’s Elbow

After diagnosing you with golfer’s elbow, your healthcare provider will often refer you to physical therapy (PT). Many states and insurance plans may also allow you to access PT directly without a physician’s order.

While in rehab, your therapist will educate you on which movements can aggravate the condition and on appropriate braces to wear. They will also teach you stretching and strengthening techniques to help reduce your pain. Try these common PT exercises:

Wrist Extension Stretch

To do this stretch:

  1. Extend your arm in front of your body with your palm facing downward.
  2. Use your uninvolved hand to bend your wrist backward (like you’re telling someone to stop).
  3. Hold this position when you feel a gentle stretch in your forearm.
  4. After 15 seconds, relax the arm and repeat the stretch four more times.

Wrist Flexion Strengthening

To do this exercise:

  1. Sit with your wrist hanging off the edge of a table and your palm facing upward.
  2. With a light weight in your hand, slowly bring your wrist up toward your forearm and hold this position for a second.
  3. Reverse the motion and lower the weight downward toward the ground.
  4. Try to complete 30 repetitions. If you can do this for two days in a row without pain, increase the size of the weight.

Start by using a 1- to 3-pound weight for these exercises. While it is OK to lift light weights with golfer’s elbow, going overboard can make your symptoms worse.

Pronation and Supination Strengthening

To do this exercise:

  1. Sit with your wrist hanging off the edge of a table and your palm facing inward.
  2. Holding a light weight, rotate your forearm outward until your palm is face up.
  3. Hold this position for one second and then rotate your forearm the other way until your palm is facedown.
  4. Continue to alternate positions for 30 repetitions. If you can complete the exercise without pain on two consecutive days, try it with a slightly heavier weight.

Affording Physical Therapy

Physical therapy can be expensive. Be sure to check with your insurance ahead of time to determine if your provider is in-network. Many therapy clinics also offer cash-pay or income-based discounts to make PT more affordable.

What to Avoid During Golfer’s Elbow Healing

Avoiding these types of movements may help speed up your recovery from golfer’s elbow:

  • Repetitive gripping, pulling, or wringing
  • Forceful throwing or grasping
  • Lifting or carrying heavy objects with the affected arm
  • Activities that flex the wrist toward the forearm or twist the palm downwards
  • Any other task that causes your pain to increase

Be sure to work with your physical therapist to identify braces or activity modifications that enhance your ability to heal from golfer’s elbow.

Summary

Golfer’s elbow, also known as medial epicondylitis, is an overuse condition that affects the inner part of the arm. It occurs when repetitive movements inflame or damage the common flexor tendon near the elbow.

This painful diagnosis is most commonly treated with rest, ice, NSAIDs, physical therapy, and corticosteroid injections. Occasionally, more invasive treatments like platelet-rich plasma injections or arthroscopic surgery may be needed.

5 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
  1. Johns Hopkins Medicine. Medial epicondylitis (golfers and baseball elbow).

  2. Brady C, Dutta A. Medial epicondylitis and medial elbow pain syndrome: current treatment strategiesJ Musculoskelet Disord Treat. 2016;2:014.

  3. DeLuca MK, Cage E, Stokey PJ, Ebraheim NA. Medial epicondylitis: current diagnosis and treatment optionsJournal of Orthopaedic Reports. 2023;2(3):100172. doi:10.1016/j.jorep.2023.100172

  4. Cedars Sinai. Medial epicondylitis (golfer and baseball elbow).

  5. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Therapeutic exercise program for epicondylitis (tennis elbow/golfer’s elbow.

By Tim Petrie, DPT, OCS
Tim Petrie, DPT, OCS, is a board-certified orthopedic specialist who has practiced as a physical therapist for more than a decade.