Tennis Elbow vs. Golfer’s Elbow: What’s Really Going On (and How to Fix It)

Elbow pain is incredibly common—not just in athletes, but in anyone who uses their hands repetitively throughout the day. Whether it’s from working out, typing, lifting, or even gripping a steering wheel, two of the most frequent causes are tennis elbow and golfer’s elbow.

Despite the names, you don’t have to play either sport to develop these conditions.

🎾 What’s the Difference?

Tennis Elbow (Lateral Epicondylitis)

• Pain on the outside of the elbow
• Involves the wrist extensor muscles (used to lift your wrist up)

⛳ Golfer’s Elbow (Medial Epicondylitis)

• Pain on the inside of the elbow
• Involves the wrist flexor muscles (used to bend your wrist down)

⚠️ How and Why You Get It

Both conditions are caused by repetitive strain on the muscles and tendons that attach to the elbow.

Common triggers include:

• Repetitive gripping (weights, tools, mouse use)
• Lifting with poor mechanics
• Overuse without adequate recovery
• Sudden increase in activity

Over time, this repetitive stress leads to microtearing in the tendon—but that’s only part of the story.

🧬 The Real Problem: Muscle Tightness + Scar Tissue

Here’s where things get interesting—and where most people are misled.

After repeated strain:

• The muscle develops micro-injury
• Your body lays down scar tissue to repair it
• That scar tissue is less elastic and more rigid

👉 This causes the muscle to shorten and tighten

Now, when that shortened muscle contracts:

• It pulls harder on the tendon
• The tendon becomes overloaded and irritated
• This leads to chronic tendonitis

📌 Key Point:
The problem often isn’t just the tendon—it’s the tight, dysfunctional muscle pulling on it.

🧪 At-Home Tests

Tennis Elbow Test

• Straighten your arm
• Make a fist and extend your wrist upward
• Apply gentle resistance with your other hand

👉 Pain on the outside of the elbow = likely tennis elbow

Golfer’s Elbow Test

• Straighten your arm
• Bend your wrist downward
• Apply resistance

👉 Pain on the inside of the elbow = likely golfer’s elbow

🏠 At-Home Care

✅ What Helps:

• Decrease aggravating activities (but not complete inactivity)
• Ice (for acute flare-ups)
• Heat (for chronic tightness)
• Gentle stretching of forearm muscles
• Self-massage (foam roller, lacrosse ball)

What Often Doesn’t Work Long-Term:

• Just bracing the elbow
• Only treating the inflammation
• Ignoring the muscle component

💡 Why These Conditions Become Chronic

If you only treat the tendon (ice, anti-inflammatories), but ignore:

• Muscle tightness
• Scar tissue
• Movement dysfunction

👉 The pain keeps coming back.

🛠️ How We Treat It Effectively

• Active Release Technique (ART)
  • Targets scar tissue and adhesions in the muscle
  • Breaks up restrictions and restores normal movement
  • Reduces tension pulling on the tendon
• Dry Needling
  • Releases tight muscle bands and trigger points
  • Improves blood flow and healing
  • Helps “reset” overactive muscles
• Myofascial Decompression (Cupping)
  • Lifts and separates tissue layers
  • Improves circulation
  • Reduces fascial restrictions and tightness

The Goal of Treatment

Instead of just calming inflammation, these therapies:

• Lengthen shortened muscles
• Reduce stress on the tendon
• Restore normal movement patterns

👉 That’s how you actually fix the problem—not just manage it.

🧠 Final Thoughts

Tennis elbow and golfer’s elbow aren’t just “elbow problems”—they’re soft tissue dysfunction problems that start in the muscles and show up in the tendon.

If you’ve been dealing with persistent elbow pain, the missing piece is often:
Addressing the tight, shortened muscle and scar tissue—not just the inflammation

The good news? Once you treat the right tissue, these conditions typically respond very well and patients can get back to normal activity much faster.