Symptoms
How it tends to show up
Pain and tenderness on the inner bony bump of the elbow; pain gripping, lifting, or twisting (a tool, a bag, a handshake); an ache that can run down the inner forearm; weaker grip; stiffness after rest.
How Common
You're not alone in this
Golfer's elbow is far less common than its outer-elbow cousin, tennis elbow — it makes up only around 1 in 10 cases of epicondylitis and affects well under 1% of people in the general population, though it shows up more often among those in high-demand jobs and throwing sports. It tends to land in your 40s and 50s and usually shows up in your dominant arm. Why does that matter to you? Because this is a well-mapped, well-understood tendon problem — not something rare or mysterious — and the large majority of people get better without ever needing a procedure.
The Root
Why it keeps coming back
Golfer's elbow is a tendon-overload problem. The inner-elbow tendons get overloaded when the muscles upstream — through the forearm, shoulder, and neck — aren't sharing the work, often because some have switched off after strain or repetitive use. Rest calms it, but returning to the same gripping reloads the same tendon, and it flares again.
Who Gets It
Common risk factors
- Repetitive wrist flexing or forearm twisting for hours a day
- Gripping, grasping, or throwing sports (golf, baseball, tennis, climbing)
- Manual trades — carpentry, butchering, plumbing, food service
- Diabetes
- Smoking
- Higher body weight
- Sudden spikes in training or activity volume
- Weak or deconditioned shoulder and grip muscles
Look-Alikes
Is it Golfer's Elbow, or something else?
Several other problems can mimic this, and they're managed differently — so part of the assessment is telling them apart.
Wondering if this is what's going on — and what care would look like?
Book an Assessment →The Approach
How Dr. Imada approaches it
Using Advanced Muscle Integration Technique (AMIT), I restore the forearm and shoulder muscles that should be sharing the load, so the inner-elbow tendon isn't carrying it alone. Chiropractic care addresses the neck and upper back, and we add graded tendon loading and grip ergonomics. This is what I consistently find helps these stubborn cases — offered as insight, not a promise.
Getting Answers
How it's assessed
Clinically, golfer's elbow is a tendon-overload problem at the bony bump on the inner elbow, where your flexor-pronator muscles — chiefly the flexor carpi radialis and pronator teres — anchor. I confirm it the way the literature describes: tenderness just below that inner bump, and pain that flares when you flex your wrist or rotate your forearm against resistance. But the spot that hurts is rarely the whole story. What I consistently see clinically is that the tendon gets overloaded because of how the wrist, elbow, and shoulder are sharing work — muscles that have switched off or a grip pattern that asks too much of one tendon. A common myth is that this is simple inflammation you can wait out; the tissue change is actually more about a tendon that hasn't healed under repeated load, which is exactly why how you load it matters. I also check the ulnar nerve, since it runs right behind that bump and often gets irritated alongside.
Your Visit
What to expect
An assessment of the whole arm and neck, not just the elbow; an explanation of why the tendon stays overloaded; hands-on care to restore muscle function; and a loading and ergonomics plan.
At Home
What you can do yourself
- Ease off — not stop — the gripping or twisting that flares it
- Ice the inner elbow for 10–15 minutes after activity
- Try a counterforce brace or wrist splint during demanding tasks
- Gentle, pain-tolerable wrist and forearm stretches
- Add light eccentric (slow lowering) wrist work as it calms
- Warm up the forearm and shoulder before sport or work
These steps manage symptoms and protect the tendon while it settles, but they work best alongside care that restores how your whole arm shares the load — not as a substitute for it.
Outlook
Recovery & realistic timelines
Here's the honest timeline: golfer's elbow is patient. Most people are advised to ease off strenuous loading for the first several weeks, and the research suggests that the large majority recover with conservative, non-surgical care, though it can take many months to well over a year. That sounds long, and it can be — tendons heal slowly. My aim is to shorten that arc by addressing why the tendon stayed overloaded: muscles that switched off, a shoulder or grip pattern asking too much of one spot, and a graded eccentric-loading plan the literature supports. Surgery is genuinely rare and only considered after many months of failed conservative care — and if you ever reach that point, I co-manage with or refer you to an orthopedic physician.
Staying Ahead
Keeping it from coming back
- Build in stretch and rest breaks during repetitive tasks
- Warm up wrist, forearm, and shoulder before activity
- Strengthen the shoulder and grip to share the load
- Check sport technique and equipment fit
- Ramp up training volume gradually
- Use a brace during high-demand activity
Related
Related conditions
FAQ
Common questions
Do I have to be a golfer to get this?
Not at all. The name is misleading — most cases I see come from work, throwing sports, climbing, or any repetitive gripping and twisting, not golf.
What's the difference between golfer's elbow and tennis elbow?
Same idea, opposite sides. Golfer's elbow affects the tendons on the inner elbow; tennis elbow affects the outer side. Golfer's elbow is the less common of the two.
Will it heal on its own?
It often does eventually — most people recover with conservative care — but that can take many months, and addressing the underlying load pattern tends to speed things along.
Why is there tingling in my pinky finger?
The ulnar nerve runs right behind the inner-elbow bump and is often irritated alongside the tendon. It's common, and I always check for it, but it can also point to a separate nerve issue worth distinguishing.
Should I just rest it completely?
Complete rest usually isn't the answer for tendons — they respond better to the right kind of gradual loading. I'll guide what to ease off and what to keep doing.
Will it come back?
It can, if the underlying overload pattern isn't addressed — which is exactly why we look up the chain at the shoulder and grip, not just at the painful spot.
Do I need an injection or surgery?
Almost certainly not. Surgery is rare and only weighed after many months of unsuccessful conservative care. For anything beyond my scope, I co-manage with or refer to a physician.
Can you make a claim it'll be cured by a certain date?
Honestly, no — I won't promise a cure or a fixed date. What I can do is follow what the evidence supports and work to shorten your recovery by fixing why the tendon is overloaded.
Dr. Imada is trained in Advanced Muscle Integration Technique (AMIT), the CHEK Institute holistic lifestyle program, Foundation Training, and Nasal Specific — care that looks at the whole person, not just the spot that hurts.
This page is for education and is not a substitute for in-person diagnosis or treatment. Care described reflects Dr. Imada's clinical experience and current literature; individual results vary.