What You Can Do Right Now about Your Elbow Pain
183 CommentsEditor’s Note: Today’s post is written by Betsy Schack, OTR/L. Betsy is an occupational/hand therapist at Athletico Skokie and Athletico Park Ridge.
Does it seem like you can’t get through the day without having pain in your elbow? You go to lift your laundry basket, pull a door open, or even try to twist off the cap to your water bottle and feel pain or soreness. Elbow pain is one of the most common problems occupational/hand therapists treat. Two of the most common elbow diagnoses are tennis elbow and golfer’s elbow. Depending on the cause and location of your pain, it can be treated easily and effectively with a few simple steps.
Step 1: Identify the location of your elbow pain.
On the outside of your elbow is a bony prominence called the lateral epicondyle. Tenderness at this point is most likely lateral epicondylitis, commonly known as tennis elbow. If you press on the inside of your elbow there is another bony prominence called the medial epicondyle. Tenderness at this point is most likely medial epicondylitis or golfer’s elbow.
To understand the “why” behind how tennis elbow and golfer’s elbow are treated you will need to understand the basic anatomy surrounding these conditions. They are both classified as repetitive strain injuries and are actually caused by overuse of the wrist despite the pain being felt in the elbow. Along the dorsum of your forearm (back of your hand side) are the wrist extensor muscles. These muscles control wrist extension which is the motion you would make to give someone a high five or push open a door without a handle. The muscles go along your forearm and connect at the lateral epicondyle. The wrist flexor muscles go along the bottom side of your forearm and cause your wrist to bend forward or down. The wrist flexor muscles connect to the medial epicondyle in the elbow. Elbow pain can occur when there is overuse of the above musculature causing an increase in inflammation of the tendons known as tendinitis.
Step 2: Identify the cause of your elbow pain.
Overuse of the wrist muscles could involve repetitive or prolonged lifting, gripping, or pinching. Sometimes people are able to identify ways in which they may have overused these muscles, including working on an assembly line, carrying heavy boxes, lifting too much weight at the gym, or playing golf or tennis among other sports. Other times it is more difficult for people to identify. You could develop pain after gripping the steering wheel on a long drive or from the way you are sitting at your computer at work. It is important to try and examine how you are using your arms during the day in order to modify and prevent improper posture or arm positioning from occurring in the future.
Step 3: Begin treatment.
Sometimes your elbow pain will go away on its own, which could take several months. However, there are ways to get a head start on treating your elbow pain before it becomes more painful and debilitating. Our occupational/hand therapists would be happy to see you for a free assessment to help classify your symptoms and recommend whether going to a doctor and getting a prescription for formal therapy would be most beneficial for you. They can also help you identify what the cause of your elbow pain may be. Lateral epicondylitis and medial epicondylitis are the most common sources of elbow pain, but your therapist can help you decide if further testing if needed for your specific case.
In general, there are 4 things you can do for your elbow pain RIGHT NOW. It is a good idea to avoid heavy lifting and gripping to allow your arm to rest and recover. Anything that is causing your elbow pain is most likely making your condition worse and should be avoided.
1. Heat
If the pain is chronic and has been going on for at least 1-2 weeks, put a moist hot pack around your elbow and forearm (taking care to avoid direct contact of the heat with the skin). This will bring blood flow and nutrients to the area to help the healing process.
2. Stretch
Perform gentle stretching to the forearm musculature. These stretches should be performed in a PAIN-FREE manner. You should feel a slight stretch or pull along the muscles, but elbow pain should not be present. Hold stretch for 10 seconds and repeat 10 times. Stretches should be performed 3-5 times per day.
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| Wrist flexor stretch for medial elbow pain | Wrist extensor stretch for lateral elbow pain |
3. Counterforce brace
You may have seen someone walking around with a strap around their forearm. This is most likely a counterforce brace. It helps dissipate the force from the muscles before it reaches the point of your elbow pain. There are several different brands available on the market. For proper fit place the most padded part 2-3 finger widths below the point of your pain (either the medial epicondyle or lateral epicondyle). The brace should fit snug but not too tight to the point where you are cutting off circulation to your hand. The counterforce brace should be worn for all activity.
4. Wrist immobilization brace
If elbow pain is severe and/or you have significant forearm pain present, then a wrist immobilization may benefit you more than the counterforce brace listed above. Immobilization of the wrist will allow the wrist muscles to rest completely and assist with putting them in a good position to heal. The wrist brace can be bought over the counter. It should be worn with all activities.
Don’t let your elbow pain go untreated. For more information, schedule a free assessment with one of our occupational/hand therapists. We would be happy to help!
Click to Schedule a Free Assessment
The Athletico blog is an educational resource written by Athletico employees. Athletico bloggers are licensed professionals who abide by the code of ethics outlined by their respective professional associations. The content published in blog posts represents the opinion of the individual author based on their expertise and experience. The content provided in this blog is for informational purposes only, does not constitute medical advice and should not be relied on for making personal health decisions.
183 Comments
Robert Samuelson
Yes I have all those symptoms as mentions on this site, I am a cook, I do repetitive work. I don’t see how I am going to change the way I work, its my job.
Julie K.
I tried (2. Stretch) with instant relief.
After unloading my car last night, pulling suitcases and carry a few bags/boxes. I woke up this morning with pain in my right elbow. The suitcase were the first thing I thought about. Then as I turned my wrist the pain worsen in my elbow. The stretch worked for me. Thanks to everyone that takes the time to share information with total strangers.
Betsy
Julie,
I’m glad that the stretches have been working well for your elbow pain. Just remember to be cautious when lifting heavy objects (suitcases, bags/boxes). When possible, try to use both arms to lift and try to break up the amount of weight that you carry each time. If you feel like you may have lifted too much, you can put some ice on your elbow and that will help calm down any inflammation. Hope this helps!
Betsy
Ricardo
That was a great description of my situation that also came associated with great tips on how to start treatment.
Thank you!
sohail Javed
Hi I am suffering with Tennis Elbow pain since Jan 2013 and now sept. Started but not much relief. I had two shots of cortisteriods and lot Physiotherapy but pain still there. But all above steps are very good to adopt and will try streching and not to Play Cricket Batting. Is Aucupuncture is helpful in this case…? Thanks Sohail
Brian US Air Force
Being in the military I have to stay in good physical shape I workout almost daily and I also play golf. With that said, my right elbow is a bit painful so I will try the stretches and heating pad. After a week or two I will come back and let you all know how good it is working.
rona
water therapy is the best treatment – try it – it really does work !!!!!
p.s. i am a hydrotherapist and believe 100% in what i do
sefik
Hi,
I had a elbow pain after carrying a pack about 45 minutes.
It was a very small pain at the beginning. But it is increased in time.
The pain is exactly at joint. Now, I use elbow support during the day.
It is already 2 weeks using elbow support, pain is still disturbing. Not less nor more.
I need some advices. I do sport of running and time to time fitness.
Thanks, Sefik
Anthony Smith
Dear Sir/Madam,
I’m currently suffering from a very painfull elbow to be exact (medial epicondytilis) golfers elbow.
I do alot of weight training which I enjoy but have to stop every few monthsdue to the pain. The pain does go away eventually and then I am able to start again. I think what I am asking, is this something that I will be suffering with in future as I am only 58.
Yours Sincerely,
Anthony Smith
Betsy
Anthony,
Just because you have pain now does not mean you will have pain forever. Make the stretching and heat a part of your normal routine (even when your elbow is feeling good). A progressive strengthening program would be advised to keep your forearm muscles strong. Try some wrist curls and reverse wrist curls with a weight. Make sure these exercises do not cause any pain. Gradually increase the weight as tolerated. Take a look at how you are performing your regular weight training making sure you are using proper body mechanics to avoid the strain on your elbow.
Hope this helps!
Bul
Mine hurts when I move it up and down
paula
hello my right elbow is giving me the blues!!I am currently a nurse assistance and I do a lot of lifting,pulling,turning.and oh by the way im right handed.so this is very painful.please any information or braces I should get will be greatly appreciated!!
Ivette
My elbow started irritating me something awful this evening as I’m cleaning my house. I am right handed and use it pretty much exclusively. This was a very different sensation, my elbow felt as though I needed to ‘pop’ it but it hurt to move in a most irritating way in that in a range of motion the tipping point would make me jerk.
This is a great article. It helped me put a name to my pain in addition to helping me understand what was going on with my body. I did the stretches described above and could feel the connections but no relief. For some reason I decided to do them with my arms extended over my head and then POP! It was a Wonderful sound and the pain went away immediately. I can only assume the tendon was twisted. I am grateful for this information THANK YOU!!
Sheri
Just finished my 1st set of exercises & already notice relief! Wish I’d checked here bfor getting 3 shots & buying all those braces ;(
Aaron
I was told by a GP in October that I have golfers elbow including a partial tear in the tendon (started feeling it in August). I have been going to physiotherapy twice a week for the past 3 weeks and do not feel any better at all. In fact, today it feels worse. Included in the physio was 3 acupuncture treatments. Should these exercises (stretch, heat, etc) be avoided with a tear, or should I work this into my routine? Thanks.
Francois
I just tried the stretch recommended above and my elbow does feel a little better. I’m going to do it 3 times a day and apply heat. Thanks very much for posting such helpful information, I was trying to figure out why my elbow felt so inflamed and I realize now it was all the cooking I did for a big party last month–a great deal of repetitive hand work over a period of two days that left my arms and hands so achy afterward.
Sedilia
I am 16 years old and I broke my elbow when I was 7. It never healed right and they never did anything to fix it. They said that it wouldn’t cause any problems. We’ll in the past 6 months I have had excruciating pain around my elbow and down my arm. I did the stretches and they kind of didn’t work for my problem. What stretches would work best with my situation?
Betsy
Sedilia,
I’m sorry to hear you have been in so much pain for so long. It is hard to know exactly what is causing your elbow pain and these stretches are not the “cure” for all elbow pain. If you live near an Athletico, give us a call so we can set you up with a complimentary screen to see if we could help. If not, you may want to consider visiting your physician for further evaluation of your elbow.
Hope this helps!
trish
I’m a cna ,so I’m working with residents that can not do for themselves, my pain is on the inside of my elbow ,what can I do to help me at work ,to keep it from getting worse?
Galyn Taylor
Elbow pain, also swallon hand,can u help, don’t have ansurance
Betsy
Trish,
You can start by stretching (see above) prior to starting your shift. I would also recommend you begin a strengthening program for your shoulders and upper arms that are involved with transferring and lifting patients. Stronger proximal musculature will help alleviate stress from your elbow when you are performing your job.
Galyn,
Try icing your elbow and hand and keeping your arm elevated. If the swelling does not go down in your hand you may want to consider further medical intervention. If you are located near an Athletico, our screens are complimentary and you do not need insurance.
Alex
I’m going on month six of elbow pain diagnosed tennis elbow by my orthopedic doctor. I had shoulder surgery 4 months ago and have been off of work since resting my elbow and going in for physical therapy for both my shoulder recovery and tendinitis of the elbow. My shoulders doing great but my elbow is in the same pain as 6 months ago man its been along time now with much rest and soon to go back to work with this pain still. My physical therapist gave me the hybresis patch for 6 weeks and did ultrasounds on my elbow for 4 weeks and no improvement. I’ve done stretches and the ecentric weight lifting with a dumbell not strenuous at all to build the muscle back slowly and nothing. I am getting an MRI next week reffered by my ortho to make sure it’s nothing else but it might just be a chronic tendinitis. I’m feeling almost helpless in the sense I just can’t get rid of it and need to go back to work construction. Any advice at all would be great I’ve looked into tennis elbow for a long time now trying to understand it. thanks.
Stacy
I have pain on the upperside of my lower arm. It will ache like crazy, then my elbow will pop and I get a small amount of temporary relief. I went to my doc 2 months ago & he dx me with tennis elbow and gave me a cortisone shot and put me on anti-inflamatories. It helped for a very short period of time and now I’m in excruciating pain. I had to discontinue to meds as they were messing up my stomach. I’ve been doing a lot of research and get conflicting information about best treatments. When I do the stretches IT HURTS. I’ve been using dry heat, perhaps I should be using moist heat? I can’t really say my elbow hurts other than if I press directly on the boney part of the outer elbow, it’s very tender. It’s the upper part of my forearm that is so painful. Any advice?
david
I’ve been working out for sometime now but lately both arms around the elbows are sore and painful and hurts when lifting.what could it be and what should I do to resolve my problem?
Feodor kutznetsov
I do olympic liftning and been struck with elbow pain twice. The first time I was trying out curls with tiny 10kg weights (I easily pull 180kg over my head), I never curl so I thought I would give it a try. Felt a bit odd in the left elbow, but it wasn’t a pain so I ignored it; the next day I could not even lift a towel with my left arm, bad pain…It took 6 months to get good. Then the second time, two years after the first injure, I did 5 repetitions of curls with 5kg (!) dumbbells, between OL lifting. No way it will hurt me, it’s impossible. Guess what, my right arm is shot today, can’t use it because of the pain.
It’s puzzling, I can do what resembles a curl on daily basis, like picking up my kids (or my wife) or groceries, with one arm and no problem, but the full motion of curling, it’s cryptonite for me.
Maribel
My left inner elbow is been hurting for several months now and is worst at night while sleeping, when i am resting my arm it hurts so bad the pain wakes me up. And if i take something a little heavy with both arms the left arm hurts also. By the way, the pain at night goes from my elbow through my wrist. I need any suggestions cause right now i can’t see a Dr. i have no insurance. Thanks.
Chuck R.
stretches helped soooooo much. I am a swimmer and have a big meet coming up so rest wasn’t an option for me.
carbster09
Four months ago I was travelling with very heavy suitcases, a baby and my wife when I experienced alot of elbow / forearm pain. I had to carry all of these bags across multiple ferries quickly! I had no choice. Since then I could hardly pick up my 18 month old daughter. I lift in the gym and curls are out, many other things hurt as well. It does seem that after four months I am getting ever so slightly better. What exactly did I do? And how can I get better and when? Its frustrating and painful!
Sarah
I have a pain in my left elbow when I put pressure on it and if I move my shoulder or my arm above my head I can feel a pain in my elbow then I’m my wrist. I would like some help if anyone could give any tips on that because it hurts badly. Thanks.
Allen
The outer part of my right elbow pops constantly. It pops when I bend towards my body and then pops again when I reverse the motion. It doesn’t hurt much when it pops but it starts to ache after it pops a few times. When I feel along the outside of my elbow and do the range of motion described I can feel the(ligament? tendon?) snapping across the bone of my elbow and hear a audible “pop”. This “popping” only occurs when I do a “curl” range of motion with my arm. It doesn’t pop or bother me at all when I push up from a chair. I work at a computer for long periods of time and was wondering if this could be wrist related. Anyways, thanks for your time.
Betsy
Hi Allen,
If the popping continues in your elbow, you may want to get this checked out. It is hard to tell what is causing the snapping if your elbow without seeing it. See our website for a list of all of our Athletico locations and schedule a free screen!
One of our therapists can advise you on whether they think it would be appropriate for you to seek further treatment from a doctor and can give you exercises to try.
Clare
It’s been 2 years since I broke my elbow and my wrist- i had some bone displacement on the ulna but it wasn’t operated on. Since I have been unable to straighten my arm, it sometimes locks or clicks as the bone gets caught in the joint. My tendons are very tight and have have a stuff achy arm ever since. I received physio and it took 6-8 months to straighten my arm to about 90% of original movement. Recently I started a job as a waitress and after 2 days have had to ask for time off as my upper arm has swollen up and I was in a lot of pain. I am concerned if I can carry out repetitive lifting tasks anymore- maybe a career change! Since breaking my elbow I have had many problems with sleep and have regular massage as my shoulder has a lot of pain and neck. Sometimes after repetitive lifting I feel tingles in my fingers and my whole arm ceases up. This is affecting my work ability and I’m so tired!! 🙁
ken
I am an older golfer playing to a 10 handicap. I play 3-4 times a week. When I hit an iron and hit down on the golf ball sometimes I get a shooting pain on the outside of my right elbow. It is so severe that I will drop the club and the pain sensation lasts for 10-15 seconds.
What should I do besides rest. I apply cold packs after I play.
Alpesh J Kodvara
I am Cricketer and my elbow paining from last 2 year. when i playing cricket that time i feel pain on my right hand elbow specially when i through the ball that time i feel really pain.so what can i do to relif from the elbow pain……
Keri Frank
Thank you for the information and stretches! It is very appreciated:)
Reichel
Hello,
I have had a horrible pain in my elbow and arm now for the past two months. It is now so bad that I can’t even life a 5 lb weight in boot camp because it hurts so bad. I do type all day for work. I have been told that it could be carpel tunnel but isn’t that just in the wrist? Advice please because It truly does hurt constantly now. Sometimes even burns
Sharon
I was traveling and yanked my suitcase off the belt at the airport and since then I have what feels like a pulled muscle on the inside of my elbow. I go through the day and don’t feel anything until I go to lift or pick up something one handed. It reduced to a mild discomfort and then I started doing a TRX workout, where you end up holding or pulling on straps. After a few sessions within a week I could tell it was just irritating the injury and I stopped.
So I guess my question is, how long does it take this type of injury to heal? How soon can I start doing TRX again? Is there any exercises I can do to strengthen the area?
Appreciate your help!
jason
I too have elbow pain in my medial epicondyle. Also I have a pop/ snap every time I move my elbow. I do calisthenics and I am about 270lbs( not fat ) . am I just too heavy for pull ups?
Betsy
Reichel,
I would definitely give your elbow a rest if you are in constant pain and take a break from the boot camp classes for awhile (no push-ups, pull ups, lifting weights). Carpal Tunnel usually presents as more hand pain and numbness/tingling in the hand as well as burning in the hand but typically does not cause burning pain in the elbow. Watch how you are positioned at your desk to see if you are resting your elbow on a hard surface all day which you should try and avoid.
Sharon,
Soft tissue injuries could take several weeks to fully heal. The TRX might be too intense right now as this requires a lot of upper body strength and tight gripping which could aggravate the elbow. You can try light strengthening with free weights for now but avoid anything that causes pain.
Jason,
Pull ups can aggravate your elbow pain due to the tight sustained grip needed to do a pull up. If there is a pop/snap in your elbow every time you move you might want to try isometric strengthening exercises for the biceps and triceps and even do planking exercises to work on core and scapular strength.
If you continue to have pain please contact your nearest Athletico and get set up with a complimentary screen by one of our therapists!
Katie S
My pain is in my elbow and the lower part of my upper arm. There is no pain to touch on or surrounding the elbow, but as i get further up there is pain on the inside of my upper arm and the outside towards the bottom of the arm (assuming my arm is is facing straight out in front of me) I play softball and have practice 6/7 days each week. the pain has gotten worse and last night i couldn’t hold or bear much weight on the arm. Is this still tennis elbow because what has been listed is pain in the lower arm and elbow?
joe
U need to massage the pressure points in your elbow, both sides of the forearm all up and down the forearm up to your palm of your hand with your other hand and thumb but a billiard ball or golf ball works the best roll the ball all around with pressure to relieve your pressure points and get bloodflow going.
Bianca
Hi, this pain in my elbow has been hurting sometime but this morning it started to hurt when i bend it. Every time i try to bend it, it just feels like a heavy rock that makes my fingers numb. Now i’m putting ice pack on it that i won’t fill the pain when i try to bend it. Literally the pain inside really wants you to cry! I do not do any sports anymore but this happens most of the times but today just became worst
Thanks
bridget
I have bilateral lateral epicondylitis now 3 1/2 months approx. I’ve done quite a bit of cold laser, ultrasound, acupuncture x 3, essential oil/herbal applications, stretching, wrist brace, hot/cold arm baths, vit E 1200 mg and while the pain is more or less under control with Genuine Health Fast Pain Relief pills and PanAway Young Living’s essential oil after hot/cold bath, I still am not able to get back to long nursing shifts although I am hoping to do so in the next 3 weeks or so. I refused the steroid shot and the steroid oral meds, but am also working on general health: exercise, weight loss, bowel/liver cleanses. I like to wear the wrist brace overnight to rest arm more fully, but don’t feel comfortable with it during the day. Grip strengths were very poor at start of physical therapy and have improved a lot. Done quite a bit of exercises for strenghthening upper back and shoulder. Wrist curls… I’ve got up to 3lbs which is a push, started off with 1lb. Not sure if I will be able to go back to my same job or will need a lighter less repetitive workplace…. although that’s tricky as almost all workplaces for which I currently have training involve repetitive tasks.
Carol
I have many of the symptoms described but have a knot protruding. What would cause the knot ?
Hayden
I have had tennis elboy for a year now and physical theropy really helped but I have to do daly stretches or it continues to hurt. I am an athlete in high school I play football and baseball so you know I have to lift in the summer and also play in the winter/fall so these tips will really help thank you.
Daniel Cloud
I’ve had pain in my elbow (I think it’s golfers elbow) for almost 4 years now. I can’t rock climb anymore because of it. Weightlifting can be painful. I also have a problem with overextending the bad elbow as well. It overextends quite often and when it does it’s painful. I saw a Dr. about it and he had it x-rayed but said there was nothing that he could do about it and offered no solutions. Are there really no solutions or was that just a bad doctor? When I say no solutions, I mean absolutely nothing.
Stacy Barner
Hi I am a chronic joint popper…cracker.. whatever you want to call it. I “pop” my elbow joints a lot throughout the day. My right elbow ( also my dominant arm) joint became very sore a few weeks ago. But I kept popping the joint anyway. ( i’m stupid) Anyway now I can’t straighten my arm at all without pain. The lateral epicondyle is very sore to the touch and I can’t pinch anything or lift even a jug of milk. I have to do almost everything with my left arm now. My whole arm from the elbow down aches and the lateral epicondyle burns sometimes like fire. I just want to make sure this is tennis elbow and not something more serious.
Reginald
I did elbow surgery in April and would like to know how much weight can i lift.it been 6 months
EL
I get the pain when Im trying to curl a dumbbell or trying to do pull ups. Its a minor annonyance that I dont want to get worse. Thanks for the advice to fix the problem.
Martrisha
Hi. Thanks for this information. I am a hairstylist, & cutting hair uses the wrist alot. When I was pregnant I had carpal tunnel & my hands would actually go numb during a haircut! I still cut hair occasionally at home but not for a couple yrs n the salon. At night my elbow hurts and I can’t go back to sleep. If I touch my elbow I can feel the pain & sometimes radiates to my forearm. Wondering if it’s one of these two things that could be the problem. Thanks again.
Emmanuel Mallari
I am not sure if what I have is elbow pain on my left elbow as there is no pain to the touch. The pain appears only when I do my regular dumbbell exercises. I started my dumbbell exercises like a month ago for biceps and triceps. I am doing it daily for 3 straight weeks using a 10 lbs dumbbell with 15 to 30 seconds rest in between change of routine. I am fond of doing the standing hammer curl, bicep curl, and seated concentration curl for biceps and the standing two-arm triceps extension and the seated triceps extension for triceps. On the 4th week, I increased the weight of the dumbbell to 15 lbs and change my schedule to every other day. The pain is tolerable when I do the standing hammer and biceps curl but not the seated concentration curl as I cannot lift the dumbbell up my chest with my left hand at all. The pain is concentrated on the elbow itself only. However, I feel no pain when I do the standing two-arm triceps extension and seated triceps extension. Before doing my dumbbell exercises, I do the usual (arm) light stretching including jumping jack, Please advise.
Rema Devi
I used to have wrist pain n using pc for long hours. Since last week been having elbow pain. It’s really even more painful when I try even to carry a bottle or container. I m gonna try the sttech recommended…. Hopefully pain would ease. I do appreciate any advice. Btw, I have an infant which I need to carry daily
Kris
Caregiver moving a dead weight patient of 100 lbs. First felt the left elbow pop, very painful. Had to keep working because my company didn’t send anyone out to help me. Put a ice pack on my left arm and within hours my right arm also popped but not as bad. Had to keep working by myself for another three days when my patient pasted. Have been to numerous doctors for the past two years. Have had physical therapy, acupuncture, Cortizone injections, wrist braces on both arms. Had a MRI which showed light something that shouldn’t be in my arm plus a tear. Five doctors have said one more round of Cortizone shots and if that helps surgery. Only two of those were actual surgeons. I have a family that is totally against doing surgery on my arm. They say there are many
other things I can do. My surgeon says since the Cortizone shots took away the burn and actually did something there’s a 80% chance that the surgery will work. He will put a 2 inch incision on the top of my elbow and another 2 inch incision on the bottom. He will work around the tendon and
clean out the debris that shouldn’t be there. Has anyone had the surgery? Or does anyone have something else I should try? It is now been two years since the incident happened. I would love to hear from anyone who has had this problem, surgery, or anything else that has worked. Thank you
Kris
Another thing, I cannot lay on my left or right side because of the pain. The pain is 24 seven. I cannot touch my elbows to any services. My left arm from the shoulder down feels like the bone is going to break even when not doing anything. Do not go to the store do not do housework or anything else that can make them hurt more.
Gretchen
I have pain in both elbows! It is horrible! It hurts especially when opening medication bottles and driving, but now it is painful to the touch.
It hurts now even using the computer… yikes!! 🙁
Jake Burns
When I was 6 yrs. Old I fell out of a tree and broke my arm. Had surgery and since then have never had but 70% movement in the arm well I’m 29 and I have about 35% I’m very upset and been in a lot of pain here lately what is a option for me as far as pain relief and also a surgery that would maybe help me im truly starting to become disabled :-(:-(
Roslyn Farmer
The stretching and the wrist brace really work. I now wear the wrist brace on my right wrist when working at the computer and it eases the pain in my forearm and elbow. I now also wear an elbow brace on my right elbow (looks like an elastic stocking) and that keeps the elbow pain away during the day. The instructions on the brace said you shouldn’t wear it continually. So I don’t wear it at night.
At night the inner elbow pain can be too extreme to allow sleep. So I found that these stretches work: when I lie on my back I stretch my right arm out sideways on the bed from my shoulder, turn it so that my inner elbow is facing up, then let my right hand and lower forearm hang off the bed – so that the elbow is being stretched backwards – it works almost instantly to take away the pain for at least an hour. When I’m lying on my left side in bed, I reach my right arm forward and stretch it straight out and grab the edge of the mattress with my right hand and pull out the elbow joint – and again it works almost instantly to remove the pain completely for at least an hour.
So then I thought – will this work for my shoulder pain? So I stood under a door way and reached up and grabbed the upper door jam and pulled down to stretch my shoulder – and it worked!!!
Thanks so much!
phillippa
I have tennis elbow which I use a strap for but the pain is getting worse as its going up into my neck and sometimes in my upper back. The pain has been very painful this Christmas it only seems to effect me in the winter months. I don’t even have to be doing anything and the pain will just come on.
Is they anything I could buy to help with the pain
Dave Matthews
These symptoms are in my left elbow, but I am right handed…! And it came on suddenly yesterday……. it hurts right in between the two little bones, and also hurts to fully extend my elbow……I am still headed to golf course today…..
kimberly banks
My severe pain is in my left elbow. It’s bad. It makes me cry everyday. I can’t even put my hand to my mouth to eat without screaming or it locks in position. The last 2 days when I move my arm I hear cracking sounds in my elbow ..I’ve tried everything nothing is working so is it time for surgery? Something has to be done I can’t stand it. I picked up a gallon of tea and dropped it because of this… I had surgery on my right elbow but it wasn’t as severe as the left one is.. Plus I have carpel tunnel in both hands. Left is worse than the right is..by a neurologist already.
Jeannie Ramberg
I have pain in my right elbow and have had cortizone shots, physical therapy, been on opiates, wear a compression cuff but Ive found that using a TENS unit helps the most for immediate pain. Place the pads on the lower and upper arm with the elbow joint in the middle. The electric current disrupts the pain. I do the stretches and use the FlexRod everyday and just hoping time will heal it.
Katie
I’ve had LE in my right elbow for over 2 years. Doctor prescribed a forearm strap and meloxicam, neither of which helped, and wouldn’t prescribe any steroids or anything to help. I do medical editing as a job, so it is a repetitive motion cause (also have carpal tunnel, but not as bothersome). I currently use some light weights for arm toning. My question is should I be concerned that I can’t straighen my right arm at the elbow? When I try to make it go straight, as I can with the left arm, it always stays in a somewhat flexed position. Is that normal for LE? Thanks!!
Krystal
This all seems clear. My main issue is that it’s my left elbow. I am right handed and have had issues with right wrist. I do pick up condiment squeeze bottles at work…repeatedly but really that is the most I do…every day I stretch, since this started hurting I can’t stretch left arm out without pain.
Chuck Devorak
I’m a right handed golfer, 10 days ago I play, and on a fairway shot with the ball located on a down slope, I hit the ground before I hit the ball ouch, left elbow got hurt,
Pain is located on the top tip of the elbow, back side. The surface area is about 2 inches in size, circular area, on the bottom end of the Tricep area, where it connects to the elbow.
How do I fix? other than leaving it alone and not playing, this I would guess could be six months,
Is there a minor surgery I could have done.
Help. Thanks in advance.
Eidin G
This information is really helpful as it also gives me some direction on where to start. I sew and depending on what I do I always am putting force on my hands and wrists. I’m not sure what it is but I’m positive that self care will assist when pain does come on. I am very appreciative of the information having been shared and for self care.
Thank you
Heather
Hi. My right elbow has achy burning pain for hours on end from time to time. I just don’t know what causes it or how to get rid of it. It’s been on going for years.
Please help
Fred
I have pain on the outer part of my elbow. It’s been going on for about two months. I think I got it from skiing. I read that I should ice it and then somebody else says put heat on it. What is the correct advice?
Denisr
6 years ago I broke my arm, have a pin and screw. I always complained that certain movement seemed to feel like a painful stretch or muscle pulling sensation. Doing pushup, and lifting over head i felt this painful stretch feeling. I started Cross Fit 4 months ago and was doing OK until 2 months ago when I started lifting heavier. Its only weight over head or pushups I feel the painful stretching tug. Now when I do pull ups, I’m feeling it. If I grind my elbow into the table to try to maybe break-up the tissue if its inflamation, that’s now painful and if I rub it, I can feel it too. Its almost like its maybe the muscle that’s hurting? Its the same complaint I had going thru PT 6 years ago! Is it because of cutting thru muscles when the put the elbow back together that’s causing the pain? Would a type of tennis elbow strap help? I don’t want to give up the cross fit!
parker Steadman
My pain started about 3 years ago I am 14 as of now and it hasn’t gotten any better I have tried stretching and icy hot it hasn’t worked I need help
logregg
I am 54 & lift 6x/week with high intensity & very competitively. My problem is the pain in the soft, connective tissue of my elbows & knees while I sleep. This “melts” away with very slight stretching when I awake but always comes back during my sleep with a painful intensity of 4 out of 10 (10= severe) as stiffness ensues. Short of goal compromises, any advice/remedies?
Brooke
I’m and archer. Meaning I shoot archery professionally. And I have to pull back a bow about 50 times, almost all once, almost every day. And it really does make my elbow sore, and hurt if I apply pressure. Especially at night. And I tried those stretches and it is already helping! Thank you so much!
Nicole-OT with Athletico
Katie-It sounds like you could really benefit from a trial of therapy including some suggestions about how you might be able to set-up your work station differenty to allow your muscles to actively rest. If you have avoided straightening the elbow due to pain, the muscles can become tight and then not allow full extension. I doubt that it is anything serious from what you describe, but again, I think therapy could help. Not sure what part of the country you are in, but Athletico is now in 9 states across the Midwest. Regardless, you will likely need a prescription from your doctor to attend therapy and try to see someone who specializes in the upper extremity. Good luck!
Nicole-OT with Athletico
Krystal-It sounds like you may be stretching to aggressively. Try modifying the stretch by bending your elbow until you can work gradually to the full stretched position.
Nicole-OT with Athletico
Chuck-Taking a divot like that can be rough. The good news is often a traumatic cause of injury means that it is more likely to heal. If your symptoms have not already resolved with rest and the above stretches, it might be time to consult an orthopaedic doctor and try some therapy. Hope you are out on the fairway soon!
Nicole-OT with Athletico
Fred-There is a big debate among professionals about which is better, ice or heat. I would say for the first 2 days of injury and after stressful activities, ice is what you want. Heat can be used to literally warm up and should be followed by stretching. Happy healing!
Nicole-OT with Athletico
Denise-If this pain has been going on far awhile, I would suggest a follow-up with a medical professional. We offer a free screening service in all of our clinics throughout the Midwest. This appointment can be used to help you decide if you need to follow-up with a doctor. If you live in the Midwest, feel free to go to athletico.com to find more out about our screening service.
It has also been my experience with people that are doing cross-fit in particular that targeted strengthening of some key stabilizing muscles can be of great assistance. I would seek your local upper extremity professionals assistance for that.
Nicole-OT with Athletico
Parker-At 14 you are a little young for what is typical elbow pain. I would talk to your parents about the pain and follow-up with your pediatrician as there may be some underlying cause that isn’t apparent currently.
Nicole-OT with Athletico
logregg-Given that the symptoms are worse at night when you aren’t moving around, swelling may be the culprit. When we are stagnant our bodies’ normal pumping mechanism for increased fluid is not active and therefore can pool in areas like your joints. Once you get moving again in the morning this swelling typically decreases and you feel much better I would try wearing a compression sleeve at night while sleeping and see if that helps the amount of stiffness in the am. It will not likely resolve it, but may help. Good luck!
Nicole-OT with Athletico
Brooke-Competitive archery, how cool! Glad to hear we have helped. Not sure exactly the motion you are using, or what your training entails, but it seems that some shoulder strengthening could help support the elbow in accomplishing the task you are asking of it. Go get ’em.
tim
yes my inner elbow has been hurting and messing up my favorite hobby …weight lifting. Its been 3 weeks now..almost 4. I hurt it by doing waaaaay too much volume on shoulder and trap day and I went back 4-5 hours after a great workout and did more later raises without warming up (dumb) , more dumbbell shrugs 120lbs in each hand (without straps) dumb real dumb bc my chiro says old that my wrist is out so it pulled forearm down or wrist out and that that caused my shoulder to hurt. At 1st it hurt like tennis and golf elbow but now its only inner part so like gold elbow. Its better! I made the mistake by sitting out only 3 days then went back did chest and back high volume workout but it did not hurt too bad. Then did some legs day later. I rested and did chest and back again lighet and still same. So about two weeks after I first hurt it I wanted to do shoulders and biceps and I felt ok no major pain but I had blood flowing and after all the curls straight bar, concentration db curls and one other 12 sets biceps and 12 sets shoulders 3 lifts each. It made it hurt a little more then 4-5 days later I was back to minor pain and its been same. I have not done ANY upper body lifting in 10 days. I think its better but then its still little sore. Im afraid to workout other than legs bc I love bodybuilding and dont want to set it back again. I think compound movements might bc ok like presses and pull ups etc. It was the bicep curls isolation movements that I think set it back. I also went heavy with 8-12 reps per set. Ive been to chiro 2 times a week, massage about 3 times since I hurt it and taking more omega 3 fish oils. Ive hear ice is no good at this point so what can speed up the healing? My doc says moist heat would be great buy something a drug store moist heat elbow pack. I massage forearm with lacrosse ball Im trying it all. I need to get back into gym summer is coming!!!! good thing is its better not worse. I just want it to be GONE!
robin
Bless you! My pain is gone. Thank you so much.
Anna
I started working freight at a big box store — lot of box lifting — some as much as 40 – 50 lbs. My elbow joint in both arms began to ache. I happened across this site while searching elbow aches. Tried the stretches and the ache was immediately dissipated. My elbows would ache just by bending my arms up and down without lifting anything. After the stretches the ache was completely gone. I am going to do the heat wraps at night when I am home and then do the stretches during the day — something I can do while at work. I believe part of my problem is age – 54; but I don’t think the ache is arthritis because it does not feel the same as in my hip which I know (doctor confirmed) is arthritis. Who would have though such a simple stretch could offer such immediate relief. THANK YOU!
phillip aderholt
armwrestling 20 years ago my elbow popped and went back it hurt extremely bad only if I bent it and held it close to my body did the pain go away and that’s how I kept it until it felt bar able …u never went to the doctor for it now when I hold my arms out I can’t straighten my right arm out alk the way like I tore a tendon or streached it and it healed back the wrong way…now when I lit heavy objects the pain gets so bad I can’t even hold my arm out in front of me without my hand shaking uncontrollably…can t even open a soda ..and it taken a a few weeks to feel barable…it hurts on the outside edge of my right elbow. .on a scale of 1to 10 uts an easy 10….what do u think I done to it ?
Anthony P
I work at a dicount tire so my day consist of lifting, pushing,pulling, grabbing,flinging all of the above that has to do with using these muscles the stretch work only when I was doing it. I can’t where the wrist restraint just cause of what I do but the counterforce band looks promising I will try that if I do sent work I’ll resort to taking a few days off of work and use the wrist restraint. Thank you for the tips.
Kevin A
My outer and upper left elbow has been hurting for over 15 years. I have played baseball and softball my whole life. I am now a coach for my twin boys baseball team. Every time I throw batting practice my pain is so unbearable. Could I possibly have a torn ligament or could it be something else? I am a plumber as well. It hurts while I plumb but not as painful as throwing a baseball. When I was in high school I was throwing in the low 90’s. Any comments or suggestions?
Diane
I encourage everyone that has either /both tendons medial is or laterali versions to get help immediately . I waited too long after I first felt it ( I am a makeup artist). Now I can’t do anything without significant pain.
Although I’m now beginning the PT, until then, I am confused about ice and heat. I’ve been icing which helps a little. When I use heat it feels great at first, then the forearm and elbow throb half an hour later.
Any suggestions? Both?
nihal
if you put tulsi and tigh your elbow it will be fine soon
Mark
Wao!!! I got instant relieve!!! It works!!! I had pains in both elbows for over a month.Thanks for your help.
Jon
I have had tendinitis in the past, but this time it really stings, and it is at the bony part of my elbow. While reading through these comments, I found one that spoke about ice, and compression at night.”Thanks by the way”. This has been the golden ticket for me. It works better than I ever expected. I am so anxious to get back to getting my pump on, but I’m sure I should keep up the icing, and compression, (ace bandaging) at night, for at least two weeks. There is no quick fix when it comes to tendons. I was instructed by a medical professional to take it easy for a while, or plan on having surgery. (No thanks), I’ll wait it out.
v
Thanks for all the tips, im a stay at home mom qnd over the past week ive been experiencing severe elbow pain,I cant quite pinpoint the cause
however I wish a lot of heavy bags and I live on the third floor so that is a long way to carry 50 pounds of laundry groceries children etc but the pain is very severe the stretches help for a short amount of time but then the pain comes back and more intense than before so I’m going to definitely try the heating pad thanks again for the help
Shalini
Lifted heavy bags with a straight elbow about 2 weeks ago. I am having pain on pronation especially pronation with something in my hand. The pain is on the upper end of the radius and sometimes I can feel a small 2mm nodule.
I am 50 years old female (menopause 2 years ago) and was diagnosed to have low VitD levels in Jan after I twisted my ankle and had a fracture.
I am worried if it is a fracture. Should I have a x-ray? Or just do the above things?
Gale
Thanks for the great article! I definitely have tennis elbow. It is the second time I have had it.
At first, it seemed localized in my elbow. After a few weeks, I noticed the pain going down the top of my forearm. It hurts to grip, or pick up anything. This time, it started after I moved a lot of boxes and loaded a moving truck. It has been bothering me for about a month. I have been doing some stretching, but it hasn’t helped. Perhaps I was doing the wrong kind of stretching.
I appreciate the tips, as I didn’t know what to do for the pain without overuse of Ibuprofen. I will definitely try the moist heat. I have a question, though. On a different site, they recommended icing the elbow. Should I try that, also?
robert
I have had both shoulder and elbow tendonitis and know how brutal it can be. I tried all the physio and medications in the book with limited results. The only ‘instant’ help was a cortisone injection. It was like a miracle each time and lasted for a long ,long time too.
Dudester
After arm wrestling, I felt the pain the next day. It has been about 2 weeks now. It is keeping me from lifting my usual heavy weights (115 to 125 pound dumbbells in each arm). I will try the suggestions. No more arm wrestling for me.
Dudester
elbow tendon pain
CArolyn Krenzer
I am currently in therapy for a ruptured right rotator cuff repair. I noticed last week that the lateral muscle right below the elbow crease was very sore and now I am getting sporadic shooting pains in my elbow radiating to above my posterior elbow. Any ideas on this?
Eric Maree
I had tennis and gholfers elbow for 12 months now in both arms due to overworking the arms with chainsaw work…been on therapy for 12 months now…but am very active sports man which does not help.
with my job i spent 2 hours a day typing on my computer and i am beginning to think this typing action might be part of the reason why my tendinitis treatment progressed to a certain stage…and now i am stuck in a place where it is not healing any more. Had many injections, acupuncture and physio treatment.
can computer typing stop my condition from total healing??? and any suggestions on this please
thank you
Eric
Tracy C
Here I thought I was all alone. This pain hurts SOOOOOOO bad. I feel like my arm is on fire. I can’t even lift a pen. I been icing and putting hit on my arm, elbow and shoulder. But I realized this pain is coming from my rotator cuff. If you have this pain I’m having,, I feel your pain and icing helps a lot. The heating doesn’t do nothing for me. I want to chop my arm off every morning lol. I think I have tennis elbow from working out, and not lifting or pulling anything. So far the pain is NOT going away. I’m going to wait another week of my own therapy, if nothing works, hello othopedic dr. Good luck to you all.
May A.
I’ve had elbow pain for 2 weeks and been doing all suggestions I found online. But the stretches listed here, I found were the most effective. It helped more than anything I’ve tried previously.
C Jones
I have had these pains for more than a month and I have done all of these things and it still is not going away and I am a softball player, I need to find a solution. If anyone has suggestions reach out please.
Tasneem Davids
I am to undergo left carpal tunnel release in December (had the right one done 2 weeks ago) and in the meantime, I am wearing the wrist brace on my left hand. Yesterday, however, I wasn’t wearing the brace and lifted the grand kids more than once. The baby weighs 7kgs and the toddler 12kgs. At the time, I thought I could handle their weight. Towards the evening I started feeling pains towards my elbow whenever I picked up or even gripped something. Could I have “golfer’s elbow”…and would it disappear once my left carpal tunnel release surgery is done?
F.m.
I just want to compliment the author of this article. It was so very easy to understand for this medically illiterate soul. You enlightened me on what may be the cause of my pain and helped me think more clearly about what I might do to relieve it. Good job!
lulu
I fell on my hand and my elbow has been hurting a lot. I can bend it but when i straiten my arm it hurts. It really hurts on the outside. What should I do? what do u think happened.
Lisa
Thanks the helpful article and tips. I’m a professional violinist and have been playing the violin for about 50 years, without pain or any problems…so I’m grateful for that! But, oh, the last three or four months or so I’ve been getting a steadily more notable pain in my left elbow (the fiddle elbow). It’s not debilitating, and strangely enough I don’t feel any pain when I’m playing. It’s only after rehearsal or a long practice session that I feel a “sweet pain” in the tendons and ligaments around the edge of my elbow. I realize that it is an occupational hazard for a string player, and since violin playing is my joy and my livelihood, I really can’t stop playing to alleviate the pain. I will try the exercises and also the heat and the icing. I’m sure that those things will help alleviate it somewhat. I don’t know if anybody has mentioned in the comments about sleeping positions. But, since most of us spend 6 to 8 hours a night sleeping, I would think that bending your elbow under a pillow for many hours at a time (my favorite sleeping position) might also exacerbate the problem. I will try putting some sort of a limiting bandage around my elbow so that I won’t be able to bend it so much in my sleep. Thanks for the helpful article!
Kathy
I fell 4 yrs ago on my elbow, had xray, saw nothing, it has been killing me for 4 yrs. Can’t afford PT because of my high deductable. What to do?????
Doug
I went see a Traitor and it worked wonders. It took me weeks to find one.
Lj
I have left elbow pain and I am convinced it is from leaning my body weight on the elbow laying on the desk while my right hand does everything.
johnny
My wife and i took our boys to a baseball game and i did not take stroller for 2 year old…holding him the whole walk to the park really took a toll on my right elbow. It started to have a tingling feeling when i would pass him to my left arm..pain has been here since. This was a month ago. I will try stretching thanks for advice.
Jerry
Hello,
I have elbow pain in my right arm. I have had it there for about 7 months now. The pain is in the tip of my elbow and makes my whole arm hurt. The right tip of my elbow sticks out further than my left. I go to donate plasma and when I use my right arm it really hurts when I’m donating an it hurts really badly when I try to bend it back after its been straight for 30 minutes or so. It even hurts when I am sleeping and wakes me up every night. Should I see a doctor about this?
Thank you,
Jerry
Anil Kumar
Last 2 years ago i was a good fast bowler after that i stopped playing cricket and now i trying to bowl my elbow is having some problem and it is not allowing me to bowl and after it is having severe pain also. So please help me how to recover from this pain and now i want to recover my past bowling
Dina
I have had elbow pain for at least a year I went to a orthopedic and they say I have golfers elbow never play golf. They have given me three cortisone shots has not helped. They did an mri and said I have an inflammed tenden. Will the heat and the brace help me. I do babysit fir a living and do lift babies.
Josh
I have been taking glucosamine and condrotient plus msm found at sams for 2 days my pain has almost went away I had chest day yesterday and it was great. I recommend it! I am going to try some streaches as well
Melanie Byrd
I work in a weld shop for automobile parts. The repetition required to do my job is hurting my right arm so bad, I try to use my left more. The pain is so intense I can’t sleep. My fingers are locking up, mainly the middle one and thumb. I have wrist pain and weakness I can’t even hold a cup in the morning. Pain has moved into both my inner and outer elbow as well as my forearm. I have knots in my muscles and swelling. Burning sensation and that travels down the inner forearm. A sudden movement feels like a “plucking” of a string followed by a shock like sensation. Now my left arm is starting to have weakness as well. I don’t know what to do. I have tried stretching, ice compresses, and massage. I’m trying to find any type of relief. Please help. I need my job to support my kids.
Diane Palm
I have pain for about a month now, we did move and maybe that was when it started, but it hurts on both the inner elbow bone and the outter bone and muscle tissue, Im only 49 and very active, never had issues like this before, what can I do to alieviate this pain in any movement?
Haider
I have pain very hard in right hand joint from three month. Many orthopedic checked me. But no relax for me yet. All report like AMI and xray report is normal. Pl suggestion me for pain. What i will do now.
Timothy Qualls
So about 4 days ago I was doing dips. Figured I would go all out so I did 4 sets of 20 and then slammed the tricep pull down. In the process I felt pain on the crown of my elbow. I’m on the 5th day of the injury. My El ow has fever in it and literally can’t push my finger down with my hand. Pain is severe at night. Don’t like the doctors office too much. What does this sound like. Is it tennis elbow or a possible busted ligaments. Any help out here is appreciated.
Amanda
My elbow pain (tennis elbow, not golfers elbow) has been unbearable the last two months. It hurts to lift a can of pop, to reach, turn a door handle, lifting ANYTHING! It hurts ALL THE TIME! Bad enough that I’ve been in tears and almost went to the ER. I’ve been wearing a brace but still lots of pain. I had X-rays on it a year or two ago…should I have an MRI or CT done on it to see if it’s something worse, such as a tear? I am a stay at home mom, and it interferes with everything. Exercise, walking my dogs, any sports. I just don’t know what to do except ask my dream about the MRI or CT….
Cathy
I do a job of heavy lifting everyday. Started having pain one day and I worked and it got worse . Went from shoulder all the way down. Had all tests found nothing and going to physical therapy but doctors think I can go back to work and I can’t lift anything with arm or hurts when I grasp a drink. It hurts down a little from where elbow on top. I don’t know what it could be no one checked to see if a torn ligament or I rupture something. No one wants to listen.fine it’s not bone that dr. Should of sent me back to my regular dr. I need help what could it be
Bluejade
I would like to thank you. I searched online to find out if there was something I could do to help elevate the pain in my elbow and I’m very happy that I found your website. Not only did I find out more about what is going on in my elbow but I followed your instructions and now my elbow feels much better. I will follow up with a doctor if it continues. Thank you for your helpful advice.
Colyn Halbert
I threw a basketball full court because we were not using it anymore and immediately as it left my hands my elbow hurt pretty bad, do you think this stuff will work for me or do I have something else I should try?
AJAY KUMAR
Hai, i am 46 During vacation i Played 2 months Shuttle/Badminton with my children for 2-3 hours daily, because of this, the pain in right handed elbow is started and it giving pain all the day, and when it comes to stretch works and lifting weight full (domestics only) things it giving more pain, guide me to fix this problem please.
Deborah
I work on a computer using a mouse and the keyboard everyday full-time, and I started to experience wrist pain that lasted a month or so and then went away on its own. Now for approximately two weeks I have been experiencing pain in my inner elbow at the joint. The stretches you described brought instant relief! Thank you so much! I also have used diclofenac gel for my knee joints and that helps immensely with the inflamation. Thanks again
Larry Becker
I’m having severe pain all the way around my right elbow. It’s hurting so bad that it’s bringing tears to my eyes, and on a scale from 1-10 it’s definitely a 20. I’m 53 and am VERY familiar with pain but this is intensely insane! I was wondering if it’s possible to have both tennis & golfers elbow at the same time or might this be tendinitis? I’ve had completely torn rotator cuffs for years and suspect that this might have something to do with it, but my condition is definitely work related not from sports. Thanks for any reply.
Cathy Brown
I have had mild pain in my right elbow for several years, started with bicycling, but that was the only time. I was able to lift weights, etc. In the last year or so, I have pain with weight lifting as well. Sometimes it’s on the inside bone, sometimes on the outside. It was going away when I stopped weights/bike, but I wanted to do those things, so I saw a physical therapist. The exercises she’s having me do cause the pain to come back. Its mild, like 1 or 2. She says that’s no big deal and I should do the exercises anyway despite the pain. I’m worried because I feel like it’s getting worse. I’m not sure I trust her. I’m 53 and need to live with this elbow another 30 years or more, I hope.
patra lineberry
my daughter has had tennis elbow for going on two years now with a cortisone shot, 2 MRI’S, and a month with the chiropractor. she still has the pain and its hurting on the inside not just outside now. please help I don’t know what else to do the drs keep saying tennis elbow but how can it get better shes only 14 and plays sports but quit basketball because it hurt her elbow to play.
Sam
I have had elbow pain for the past 6 months whenever I do pull ups or push ups (chin ups don’t hurt) my left elbow hurts more but the pain is also in my right elbow. there was always a small pain when doing pull ups. But ever since I played wall ball for 4 hours straight 3 months ago (Lacrosse) I started to get stronger pain in my elbow from push ups and pull ups and even when I don’t do anything. I don’t think its overuse because when I don’t do anything for 2 weeks straight all I need to do is 10 push ups with elbows bent away from me to bring back pain. Sometimes it feels like I can feel the tendons from my finger to me elbow when i move my fingers, i havent had this feeling ever before in my life. what should I do?
Rob
My elbow hurts badly if left in a bent position and then trying to straighten it , especially at night when trying to sleep. Going to try the stretches and heat for a while to see how that goes, thanks for the advice.
Anne
I have had lateral elbow pain for about a year now. I just tried these exercises and they seem to have provided immediate relief. Almost too good to be true. I will continue doing them and keep my fingers crossed. Many, many thanks.
Christina
I just stumbled upon your website and tried the exercises while sitting at my desk at work. I could tell an immediate difference. I will continue to do them, but wanted to send a huge THANK YOU!!
Cherrie
My question is…is it common for the pain to last a long time? I *think* I irritated mine from painting (washing, sanding, caulking, priming), gardening, in my home. It was just “sore” but a lot of pain in my hand…which went away when I stopped…the pain in my hand did, but not the pain in my upper forearm, and where things attach at the elbow. Then helping out at a wedding where my job was unfolding and folding and setting up tables and chairs, and hauling heavy coolers of food. Then it all got worse…but I laid of the painting for nearly a year now (house is unfinished and waiting for me), and I have been super careful…I can’t even lift my morning cup of tea with that arm. I’ve switched to as many left handed things as I can, and hubby has been doing most all of the prep work in the kitchen and has to help me with grocery shopping because I find it is really painful trying to turn a grocery cart. So…I cannot point to a single injury or sudden injury. But the wedding was in August…and here we are in February and I can’t tell that I’m making any real progress yet. No swelling, no redness, just pain with any type of use, weight etc…certainly more pain with ANY movement involving pulling. Yoga seems fine…mostly pushing types of movement than pulling. But I garden and just even my basic daily activities have been on hold for months. I will try the stretches and heat. I’ve done some heat and some ice and use of rubs. I also purchased an inexpensive TENS unit and the electric stimulus gives me good pain relief but the healing seems to be stalled. Insurance and money is a huge consideration so I have not had it professionally checked out. Also, since I am a pretty die-hard naturopathic fan, I am not willing to take steroids or NSAIDS unless I’m near dying.
Bill Bencaz
I have elbow pain right in the tender spot on the outside of my elbow close to where you might hit what we call your funny bone. It feels like a tendon right in the soft spot is clicking when i move my elbow back and forth. Sometimes i can go a couple of weeks without pain then all of a sudden it will start hurting because I moved my arm i guess in a certain way. ANY HELP?
Matthew Havelka
I work out with kettlebells five days a week and have noticed a sever loss of elbow flexibility and it hurts my elbows when i tirn arm to do curl ups a little bit doesn’t bother me when I am working out? Now i wake u in the middle of the night and my elbows are bent and are in excruciating stiffness once extended they feel much better, besides just taking a break can I make this go away with stretching and heat?
hasan
My elbow pain is last from one year i had consult many specialist but its of no use i had done x ray also but report is normal plzz tell how can i cure this pain
Athletico
Your health is important to us. Please schedule an appointment with one of our physical therapists at an Athletico near you by calling 1-877-ATHLETICO
Khan
All u mention here the same problem with in my elbow
I try alot of medicine and pain relief creams but nothing works…
Kindly tell me what i hav to do
Athletico
Hi Khan – Your health is important to us. Please give us a call at 847-673-5073 so we can discuss your symptoms/injury. Thanks!
Martin Riesebosch
I have spent a lot of time playing guitar for the last six years and have dealt with bouts of elbow and shoulder pain. How ever this past six months I spent a lot of time splitting fire wood on a log splitter and the machine has the activation lever on one side causing me to always be turning the logs and throwing the pieces with my left hand, also the hand that does all the chord changes and squeezing on the fret board. Now I’m at the point that my elbow keeps me up at night frequently and has caused some numbness on my last two fingers on a continuing bases for months now. I have tries stretching my hand gently down and up and try to straighten the arm regularly through out the day but have had no success. any suggestions?
Edward
Hi, I have been sort of suffering from lateral epicondyle for about 3 months. I think it’s because of pitching too hard. I am 12 and I pitch way too hard for my age. I throw about 80~85mph and Every time I practice, my elbow hurts. I tried the hot pack but it didn’t work out as well. Can you give me some other suggestions on what to do?
Nancy
I would like more explanation on the stretching exercises please. I’m a medical transcriptionist and sit with my right hand on a computer mouse 8 hours a day. I’ve done this for 40 years and no problem until 2 week ago. Pain started in my forearm and I’ve had no injuries or strenuous activity other than possibly pulling on my dog when walking him. Now my elbow and forearm hurt even if I pick up a cup of coffee. It will be hard to wear a wrist brace while working but I would like to know more about the stretching exercises. Thanks.
Jori
Edward,
Have you tried stretching? It would be a good idea to stretch your wrist before playing.
Athletico
Hi Nancy – Your health is important to us. Please give us a call at 1-877-ATHLETICO so we can discuss your symptoms/injury. Thanks!
Athletico
Hi Edward – Your health is important to us. Please schedule an appointment with one of our physical therapists at an Athletico near you by calling 1-877-ATHLETICO
Mari Capehart
I’m guessing I have tennis elbow from my 10 month old bull terrier. It’s gotten so much worse and I’ve been dealing with it for at least 6-8 weeks. I had no idea what it was. Around a month ago I realized I could not hold anything with an outstretched arm. The pain and weakness are insane. Should I try ice or heat? Should I go see my doctor? I have a nerve disorder and Sjogrens Disease so I really thought that was the culprit. It hurts to just make a fist now. Please help with advice, thanks so much from Mari in Texas.
Alexandra
My elbow “popped” when I was lifting my 16 lbs son above my head for fun, and it was fine but after a couple hours i noticed it felt weird, now it’s only been 3/4 hours but it’s starting to feel sore and like I’m more cautious bending it. No real pain yet but what exactly happened? Why was there a “pop”?
Jim
My pain is at the back of my elbow, where the bottom of the triceps muscle ends. Neither elbow strap helps since the pain is located in the back of the arm. Ibuprofen and ice have helped, but the pain still exists. Any ideas of what this could be?
Todd Howe
Hurts to strech out arm and pain Midway left from pinky up to elbow area also extreme pain in the mornings in both arms from elbow area.its hard to even strech out my arms to the point of crying.i clean kitchen exhaust hoods in restaurants and use my wrist alot to scrap out old hard char from grease tracks and over the past 7 years it has made my arms feal like they are being tore off .I have done all the exercises and heat therapy.almost seems like I have nerve damage.ehat can be done about this I feal the only thing that will help is surgery of some kind
Athletico
Hi Todd – Your health is important to us. Please give us a call at 1-877-ATHLETICO so we can discuss your symptoms/injury. Thanks!
Athletico
Hi Jim – Your health is important to us. Please give us a call at 1-877-ATHLETICO so we can discuss your symptoms/injury. Thanks!
Ivy
Hello. I write in a notebook at least 5 to 6 hours a day for the past three weeks my elbow and muscles hurt so bad I have a hard time picking up objects that are over two lbs. I will try the stretching. I think it’s tennis elbow from writing. It hurts that I shout when it hurts. It’s dibilitating. When do I know if I get an X-ray?
Vena Joy Louie
In May I have started working in housekeeping which is alot of lifting and arm/wrist muscle extending. I’m doing my best to avoid going to dr considering I work 7 days a week.
Athletico
Hi Ivy – Your health is important to us. Please give us a call at 1-877-ATHLETICO so we can discuss your symptoms/injury. Thanks!
Sara
Amazing! I hurt my elbow yesterday putting together a new mower and mowing my rather large yard as well as trimming everything. Did I mention that I lifted the mower out of my trunk alone? At any rate I came across this and did the stretches and immediately felt some relief. Thank you for having this info here!
mor
Hey, i have tennis elbow for about 2 months and i got injured in training calisthenics. It hurts when i slice vegetables( it doesn’t hurt that i want to scream but i can fell it hurting) and i was wondoring how much time does it take to recover if i am stretching and using a heat bag?
Athletico
Hi – Your health is important to us. Please give us a call at 1-877-ATHLETICO so we can discuss your symptoms/injury. Thanks!
Bill
I’ve had medial pain for a couple of months now that came on doing curls. Haven’t lifted in several months but the pain persists. I have a ganglion cyst on my wrist that flairs up from time to time and was wondering if that could be causing my issues. If so, will those treatments help? Thanks.
Monica Bay
I have been doing hand carvings in coffee tables. I went to the Doctors last month and I was told I have tennis elbow and they then sold me an arm brace. I have been wearing that brace 95% of the time I’m up moving around, however, the pain has increased it feels as though my elbow is on fire. I tried lifting a dinner plate tonight and I almost dropped it, the pain was so bad. I know that the carving is what has caused this. Is there other ways to get releif besides stretching the wrist/arm? Cotazone shots???
Athletico
Hi Bill – Your health is important to us. Please give us a call at 1-877-ATHLETICO so we can discuss your symptoms/injury. Thanks!
Athletico
Hi Monica – Your health is important to us. Please give us a call at 1-877-ATHLETICO so we can discuss your symptoms/injury. Thanks!
Trcy
Hi.
I have had lateral epicondylitis for over 2 years now. I have tried every single thing you have mentioned here. The pain, weakness, and shakiness of my arm and hand now is at an all time high. There is now a dented area and looks like a deformity has formed over the lateral side of my elbow. It looks as if the tissue muscle has completely deteriorated and atrophied. Also, there is now a white circular spot on my skin at the same area where the tissue has deteriorated and the severe pain is.
I no longer can stand for my arm to even hang down at my side. I have to carry my arm as if it is just dead. My ring finer and my pinky are now useless and terrible pain is there also. I can not lift, carry, write, or do any normal Activities of daily living at all with it. Of course it is my dominant hand and arm which is my left hand. I have been trying to get in to see the only orthapaedic surgeon in my area for months now. I had to miss one appointment, they have changed my appts and/or cancelled them. I have tried to express to the clerks the severity of my current condition, but they just tell me to go to the ER. which is completely erroneous. I am a registered nurse, well I was. I can no longer work. My question to you is what can I do or say to the clerks at the surgeons office to help them understand the severity of my condition and get me scheduled to see this one surgeon asap? Otherwise, I will never be able to recover and use my hand and arm as I should be able to.do. Please help. Any advice or answers as to why the tissue has deteriorated, the skin color change, and my 2 fingers are useless, as well as how to get an appointment on an emergency basis would be deeply appreciated…….. Thanks.
Athletico
Hi Tracy – Your health is important to us. Please give us a call at 1-877-ATHLETICO so we can discuss your symptoms/injury. Thanks!
Alexis Bell
I had a broken elbow and it hurts when I try to do anything Except not doing anything.
Austin
My left elbow has had a chronic mild pain on extension for about a month now. It is not excruciating and doesn’t hurt at all at rest, only when I extend it fully do I feel it. I can place the pain on the outside of my elbow but it is not inflamed or swollen. I am only 24 yo. What should I do?
Katrina
My elbow pain started about 5 days after carpal tunnel release surgery. After reading your descriptions, I think it would be golfer’s elbow, it hurts inside and spreads down my arm, and up towards my armpit. It hasn’t gotten worse, but not any better. It this common after carpal tunnel release? I’m wondering if it hurts because I was holding my hand differently that usual? Is that possible? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.
Athletico
Hi Katrina – Your health is important to us. Please give us a call at 1-877-ATHLETICO so we can discuss your symptoms/injury. Thanks!
Athletico
Hi Austin – Your health is important to us. Please give us a call at 1-877-ATHLETICO so we can discuss your symptoms/injury. Thanks!
Earl Bailey
Im a long haul trucker. I never had any troubles with my elbows untill Jan of 2018.
I can’t even pick up a simple cup of coffee without too much pain in my elbows.
They say it will or could go away. I sure hope so cause I also have a 1 year old Grandaughter who love when I pick hee up. Now I have trouble doing that too.
Deaney van Zyl
I have Rheumatoid Arthritis for the past 11 years. Ive been experiencing a stabbong pain on the inside paet of my elbow amongst all the other pain in all of my joint. But this one is rather extreme.
Rose
So helpful and immediate! Stretch is so simple but so good!
Ben
I have never been in so much pain.. I injured myself using a hammer to pound a chisel into the ground to install plastic garden bed edging.. The ground was dense and rocky and I was hitting that chisel with all my might 6″ at a time.. In fact I eventually broke the chisel. The pain started about an hour after… It aches constantly, whether I am using that arm or resting it.. It’s so painful it’s hard to sleep. I hope the stretching helps because just typing this is excruciating.
Marie
I’m a hospital unit clerk. Patient charts are heavy three inch binders that lift constantly. I injured my arm twice in the last two years each time healed. About a month ago, I injured my arm again and this time it doesn’t seem to want to heal. Apparently, I have both golfers and tennis elbow. Lifting, pushing, and twisting are all problems and if I don’t wear an elbow fit at night to keep my arm from bending, I awake in the morning in excruciating pain. Doctor said it could take several months to heal which is extremely disappointing considering I can’t change what I do and on top of that, it is my dominate arm. I ice, heat, stretch and exercise, and rest I have a splint, brace and compressor sleeve. This pain is unforgiving and I just want it to go away.
Athletico
Hi Marie – Your health is important to us. Please give us a call at 1-877-ATHLETICO so we can discuss your symptoms/injury. Thanks!
Harpreet Singh
Hi,
I was suffering from sharp pain since months.
I tried “Wrist flexor stretch” procedure immediate. And, Aha! the sharp pain gone after repeating three times.
I am so relax today.
Thank you very much presenting a simple and affordable way.
Malaysia.
John Y
After going for a few months, a round of golf has caused the pain to come back. This time, it’s much more painful. Is there a permanent fix for this?
Marlo Conklin
Hello I have been going about 10 months with pain in my elbow inner elbow area and if I touch the bone on the outside of the elbow its painful. the pain is almost constant I does subside once in the while. I have been to hospital first they wrapped it. called it bursitis, then to my medical dr. said tennis elbow. Back to him again says soft tissue tear. x ray completed at hospital only thing done. Dr said use sports cream rub on and a little strap yet no relief. It get real painful at times. I have learned to deal with the constant pain. Im not sure what to do from hear no one is able to assist correctly. I’m from New Jersey
Paul Thoms
Yes, I am currently experiencing so much pain in my forearm. Ever since I cracked it at the gym, my daily night routine of using my forearms has been limited. No matter how much cream I use, I just can’t seem to get it going. Please help me
Vanessa
I also tried the stretches with INSTANT RELIEVE! Thank you so much!
Hany
I tried Superior cbd pain relief cream this morning on my elbow that is stiff and aching every morning until I really start to use it. My pain was gone within 1 min of applying the cream. I’m not kidding. Weird!!
ryan
avid golfer who started lifting weights 2-3 times a week about 2 years ago. 1 year ago started feeling the pain of tennis elbow. stopped lifting and started doing hot yoga.. fast forward to a year with an MRI,couple rounds of cortisone, PT, lazer therapy, braces, CBD lotions, ice, heat, rest and it not improved.. as I lay awake at 4:05 am PST (cannot sleep because of pain ) I am so saddened that this will not heal..
Think I need the surgery as this is ruining my life!! no golf or any activity like yoga, lifting kids, lifting anytbinh but the worst part is waking up every night in serious pain!! i average 3-4 hours of sleep/nightly. I alsosuffer from burning mouth syndrome which is just so brutal
Lucas
The hand strechest works! It relieved the pain in both of my elbows whenever I close my wrist Thank you!
Ram
Hi Im from India.
I got outer elbow pain after a heavy bicep workout and as per advise of some guys guys. I tried ice packs and ultrasound.
Its almost 4 weeks and the pain has just reduced by 20 to 30%. Still i keep going for workouts.
Will try the hot pack and stretch from today.
Ram
JENNY G
I was diagnosed with bilateral repetitive strain injury as well as bilateral carpet tunnel syndrome in 2017. I have been suffering with chronic pain in both arms since then. My left arm is in severe pain just as described above. I tried the stretching but the pain is intense and could not bend my wrist in either direction without wincing in pain in outter elbow, is there any hope for me ever recovering from this? Its now 2021.
Liz oloughlin
I have sore elbow on the bone skin area, it’s not sore to use but if I apply weight on it as in getting into bed and laying down it is very painful,
It doesn’t hurt to use, lift etc.
I have Crohn’s disease so it could be arthritic joint pain associated with Crohn’s
Would it help to wear some sort of elbow brace
Deborah Atkinson
My elbows hurts in middle painfull both of them ,I wonder want I can do .