Swing Into Golf Season Without Elbow Pain

Spring is finally here! And we are starting to see people get outside for their favorite activities -- which means we are starting to see medial elbow pain in studio. And despite the name, you don’t need to play golf—or any racket sport—to get it.

Medial epicondylitis, or golfer's elbow, is irritation of the tendons on the inside of the elbow that help flex the wrist and fingers and control grip strength. It can cause:

• Pain and tenderness on the inside of the elbow

• Stiffness through the forearm

• Weakness in your hands, wrists

• Numbness or tingling from the forearm into the thumb and pointer fingers

• Decreased grip strength

The key word here is gripping -- that’s why this condition shows up in far more people than just athletes.

You don't have to play golf to get golfer's elbow

We see golfer's elbow from a wide range of activities, including:

• Weight training (especially heavy gripping or pulling)

• Golf, pickleball and tennis

• Cross-training and functional workouts

• Yard work and home projects

But we also see it very frequently from people’s jobs, including:

• Hairdressers and stylists

• Barbers

• Electricians and plumbers

• Mechanics and tradespeople

• Office workers with heavy mouse and keyboard use

Any activity that requires repetitive gripping, wrist use, or sustained forearm tension can overload the tissue over time.

What Treatment Usually Looks Like

For work-related or persistent golfer's elbow, the most effective approach is often twice weekly treatment, especially early on.

At FIXXED Studios, this commonly includes:

• Instrument-assisted soft tissue work (Graston)

• Dry needling

• Hands-on manual therapy

• Progressive rehab and strengthening exercises

The goal is to reduce pain, improve tissue tolerance, and gradually restore the elbow’s ability to handle load—without shutting your life down.

The FIXXED Studios Takeaway

Golfer's elbow isn’t just a sports injury—it’s a load management problem. The solution isn’t complete rest, and it’s rarely just “doing nothing.”

The key is:

• Controlling the controllable

• Treating the tissue appropriately

• Gradually rebuilding capacity

Whether you’re already feeling the elbow ache or want to prevent it from creeping in, the right plan makes all the difference. At FIXXED - Physical Therapy in Wakefield we are here to help so you don’t get sidelined!