Tennis elbow? Golfer’s elbow? “I don’t even play those sports!!”
Pain on either the inside (golfer’s) or outside (tennis) of the elbow is caused by the muscles in our forearm that allow us to grip objects. That’s why it is related to playing sports which require gripping! However, most cases of either tennis or golfer’s elbow are in people who work with tools, work at a desk, our who drive for a living.
Typically, there will also be some weakness in the forearms or the shoulder or the upper back. This results in the muscle-to-bone attachment (tendon) at the elbow being overloaded. In some cases, there can be inflammation and degeneration.
If you get to it early, the pain will be simple to resolve. We would work to find the cause of your pain and build strength where it’s needed.
Many people wait for months to seek treatment, and have often developed unhelpful compensatory strategies.
In most cases, bracing and taping can be helpful.
As with any injury involving a tendon, careful and graded loading is the key to recovery. If you are having trouble finding the right load, it’s worth seeing a physio.