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Golfer’s elbow is pain on the inside of the elbow from overloaded tendons, and most of the people I meet who have it have never picked up a golf club. The medical name is medial epicondylitis. It shows up in carpenters, nurses, plumbers, weekend pickleball players, and anyone who grips a tool all day.
I am a hip and knee surgeon, so this is not what I operate on. But after more than twenty years in practice, I have had this conversation many times, usually with a patient who came in for a knee and mentioned an elbow that has ached for months.
What is golfer’s elbow (medial epicondylitis)?
Golfer’s elbow is irritation and breakdown of the tendons attaching your forearm muscles to the bony bump on the inside of your elbow. That bump is the medial epicondyle, and those muscles bend your wrist toward your palm and rotate your forearm inward.
Every time you grip something hard, those tendons pull on that spot. Do it often enough, with enough force, and the tendon fails faster than your body repairs it.
One thing surprises most patients: this is not really inflammation. Under a microscope these tendons show disorganized collagen and degeneration, not the inflammatory cells you would expect. That is why the more accurate word is tendinosis, and why anti-inflammatory pills alone rarely fix it.
Tennis elbow is the same problem on the opposite side. Golfer’s elbow is the less common of the two, at roughly 10 to 20 percent of epicondylitis cases.
What does golfer’s elbow feel like?
Golfer’s elbow feels like a deep ache on the inner elbow that worsens when you grip, lift, or twist. Press on that inner bump and it is tender, sometimes sharply so. Many patients notice it most in the morning.
The pattern I hear most often:
- Pain on the inside of the elbow that can run down the forearm toward the wrist
- A weaker grip, or dropping things you would not normally drop
- Pain with specific motions: turning a doorknob, shaking hands, opening a jar, lifting a gallon of milk
- Stiffness in the elbow, especially when making a fist
- Tingling or numbness in the ring and small fingers
That last one matters. The ulnar nerve, the one behind your funny bone, runs right beside these tendons, and about 20 percent of people with golfer’s elbow also have irritation of that nerve. If your fingers go numb, say so at your appointment. It changes the plan.
When is inner elbow pain something more serious?
Most inner elbow pain is a tendon problem, not an emergency. A few signs still need same-day attention: an elbow that is swollen, hot, and red along with a fever, an elbow that looks deformed, an elbow you cannot bend, or any concern that you broke a bone. Sudden pain after one hard throw or a fall is different from the slow ache of overuse.
What causes golfer’s elbow if you do not play golf?
Golfer’s elbow is caused by repeated forceful gripping combined with bending the wrist or rotating the forearm. Golf is one common way to produce that load, not the main one.
More than 90 percent of cases are not sports-related. The strongest links are repetitive forceful gripping, regularly handling loads heavier than about 44 pounds, and using vibrating tools. That covers a lot of Middle Tennessee: framing crews, plumbers, mechanics, and saw operators.
On the athletic side, the usual culprits are golf (the backswing and the moment just before impact), throwing sports, racquet and paddle sports, and weightlifting with the wrist curling under load. Pickleball has added a steady stream of new cases around Franklin and Nashville.
Who gets golfer’s elbow most often?
Golfer’s elbow peaks in middle age, between 45 and 64 years old. It affects the dominant arm in roughly 75 percent of cases, and men about twice as often as women.
Smoking, diabetes, higher body weight, and sudden jumps in activity all make tendons less resilient. If you smoke and you have a tendon problem, quitting does more for your elbow than any brace.
How is golfer’s elbow diagnosed?
Golfer’s elbow is diagnosed clinically, from your history and a physical exam, not from a scan. The key finding is point tenderness just below and in front of that inner bump, plus pain when you flex your wrist or rotate your forearm against resistance.
X-rays are usually normal but worth getting to rule out arthritis or an old fracture. MRI and ultrasound are reserved for cases that are not adding up or not improving.
How do you treat golfer’s elbow? Six proven steps
Golfer’s elbow treatment starts with unloading the tendon and then rebuilding it, in that order. More than 90 percent of patients get better without an operation. It takes patience, and most people quit too early.
- Change the load, do not stop moving. Cut back the motion that hurts: heavy gripping, palm-down lifting, the full-speed swing. Complete rest is not the goal, because tendons need some load to heal.
- Fix your grip and your tools. A larger, softer golf grip reduces how hard you squeeze. Lighter clubs, a fitted racquet or paddle, and vibration-dampened tools all cut the daily dose on that tendon.
- Use a counterforce strap. A forearm band worn just below the elbow spreads the pull away from the sore attachment point, and a night wrist splint helps if you wake up hurting.
- Ice and short-term pain relief. Ice after activity helps, and a brief course of an over-the-counter anti-inflammatory can make it possible to move comfortably enough to exercise. A topical anti-inflammatory gel works well for a joint this close to the skin.
- Do the eccentric strengthening. This is the part that works, and the part people skip. Eccentric loading means lowering a light weight slowly, over three to five seconds, letting the wrist extend under control. Add wrist curls, forearm rotations, and finger extensions against a rubber band.
- Consider an injection only after the basics fail. A cortisone shot relieves pain for about six to eight weeks, but the benefit fades and repeated use can weaken the tendon. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections have shown more consistent results in tendon conditions.
The AAOS therapeutic exercise handout for epicondylitis is a good printable starting point, though a therapist who can watch your form is better.
How long does golfer’s elbow take to heal?
Most cases improve over six weeks to six months with consistent treatment. That range frustrates people, and I understand why. Tendons have a modest blood supply and remodel slowly.
The honest timeline I give: sharp pain usually settles within a few weeks once you change the load, grip strength takes two to three months, and full return to a hard golf season or heavy manual work lands closer to three to six months.
Staying active within comfortable limits speeds recovery. What sets people back is pushing through real pain, then taking a week off, repeatedly.
When does golfer’s elbow need surgery?
Surgery is considered only after three to six months of nonsurgical care has failed and pain still limits work or daily life. Only about one in ten patients ever reaches that point.
The operation removes the degenerated part of the tendon and repairs healthy tissue, through either a small open incision or arthroscopically. Results are good, with complication rates around 3 to 4 percent. Recovery means a week or two of protection, gentle motion, strengthening near six weeks, and full return between three and six months.
Hand, upper extremity, and sports medicine specialists perform this surgery. I do not. At the Bone and Joint Institute of Tennessee we have thirteen fellowship-trained surgeons, and elbow tendon problems go to the partners who treat them weekly.
How do you keep golfer’s elbow from coming back?
Preventing a recurrence means keeping the tendon strong and never letting activity jump too far, too fast. Symptoms return when the original cause never changed.
- Keep doing the exercises after the pain is gone. Two or three sessions a week holds the gains.
- Warm up before you play, then stretch the forearm and wrist.
- Build up gradually. The first warm Saturday in Franklin is not the day for thirty-six holes after a winter off.
- Get coaching on technique. Weight shift and grip pressure cause most golf-related cases.
- Respect early pain. Two days of modified activity at the first twinge beats three months of rehab.
Getting help for elbow pain in Franklin and Middle Tennessee
If your inner elbow has hurt for more than six weeks, or it is affecting your grip, work, or sleep, get it looked at. Golfer’s elbow responds well to treatment, and it responds better early.
The Bone and Joint Institute of Tennessee serves patients from Franklin, Nashville, Columbia, Spring Hill, and across Middle Tennessee, with imaging, rehabilitation, and specialists under one roof. If hip or knee pain is also part of your story, nonsurgical joint pain treatment is where that starts. You can also read more about my practice.
Call (615) 791-2630 or schedule a consultation at 3000 Edward Curd Lane, Franklin, TN 37067. No referral required.
References
- Li D, Hammad A, Kaiser K. Medial Epicondylitis (Golfer’s Elbow). StatPearls. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; updated January 2, 2026. NCBI Bookshelf NBK519000
- Amin NH, Kumar NS, Schickendantz MS. Medial epicondylitis: evaluation and management. Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. 2015;23(6):348-355. doi:10.5435/JAAOS-D-14-00145
- Shiri R, Viikari-Juntura E, Varonen H, Heliovaara M. Prevalence and determinants of lateral and medial epicondylitis: a population study. American Journal of Epidemiology. 2006;164(11):1065-1074. doi:10.1093/aje/kwj325
- Konarski W, Pobozy T, Pobozy K, Domanska J, Konarska K. Current concepts of natural course and in management of medial epicondylitis: a clinical overview. Orthopedic Reviews. 2023;15:84275. PMC10495044
- Arevalo A, Rao S, Willier DP, et al. Surgical techniques and clinical outcomes for medial epicondylitis: a systematic review. American Journal of Sports Medicine. 2023;51(9):2506-2515. doi:10.1177/03635465221095565
- Barakat A, Jha G, Raval P, et al. Systematic review of surgical techniques for medial epicondylitis: evaluating the impact of preoperative injections and concomitant ulnar neuritis on postoperative outcomes. Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons of England. 2025;107(7):457-468. doi:10.1308/rcsann.2025.0005
Medical disclaimer: This article is for educational purposes and is not a substitute for in-person medical advice. Golfer’s elbow can resemble other conditions, including nerve compression and ligament injury. Always talk with your physician or an orthopedic specialist about your symptoms. In a medical emergency, call 911.
