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Tennis elbow and golfer’s elbow are similar injuries that differ mainly in location. Tennis elbow causes pain on the outer side of the elbow, while golfer’s elbow causes pain on the inner side, closer to your body. Both come from overuse of the tendons that attach to the elbow, and neither one requires actually playing tennis or golf. At HealthFirst Chiropractic in Westerville and Pickerington, our doctors help identify which one you have and treat the tendon irritation at its source.
What Is Tennis Elbow?
Tennis elbow, known medically as lateral epicondylitis, affects the outer side of the elbow. The pain comes from irritation of the tendons that attach the forearm muscles to the bony bump on the outside of the joint.
These are the muscles you use to extend your wrist and straighten your fingers. Repeated gripping, lifting, or wrist motion can overload the tendons and cause small tears and inflammation.
Despite the name, most people with tennis elbow have never picked up a racket. Painters, plumbers, cooks, and office workers all develop it from the repetitive motions of everyday work.
What Is Golfer’s Elbow?
Golfer’s elbow, or medial epicondylitis, is the inner-elbow counterpart. The pain sits on the inside of the elbow, on the side closest to your body when your arm hangs down.
Here the irritated tendons belong to the muscles that flex your wrist and curl your fingers. The cause is the same basic story of overuse, just on the opposite side of the joint.
Like tennis elbow, it does not require the sport in its name. Anyone who does repetitive gripping, twisting, or lifting can develop golfer’s elbow.
How to Tell the Two Apart
The clearest difference is where it hurts. Locating the pain usually points you toward the right answer.
Outer Elbow vs. Inner Elbow
Tennis elbow produces pain on the outside of the elbow. Golfer’s elbow produces pain on the inside.
A simple check is to notice what aggravates it. Outer pain when lifting with the palm down often points to tennis elbow, while inner pain when gripping or flexing the wrist leans toward golfer’s elbow.
Which Movements Hurt
Tennis elbow tends to flare with wrist extension, like lifting a coffee cup or shaking hands. Golfer’s elbow tends to flare with wrist flexion and gripping, like swinging a tool or squeezing.
Both can cause weakness in the grip and tenderness right at the bony point of the elbow. The location of that tenderness is a reliable clue.
What Causes These Injuries
Both conditions come from repetitive stress rather than a single event. Doing the same motion over and over gradually overloads the tendon.
Common contributors include repetitive gripping, poor technique during activity, and sudden increases in how much you do. Age plays a role too, since tendons become a bit less resilient over time.
Because the cause is usually repetition, lasting relief often means addressing both the tendon and the pattern that irritated it. Treating the pain while ignoring the cause tends to lead to it coming back.
Why the Right Diagnosis Matters
Since these injuries sit on opposite sides of the elbow, care needs to target the correct tendons. Knowing which condition you have shapes which muscles and movements to focus on.
Guessing can waste time and effort on the wrong area. This is why we start with a proper exam rather than assuming, so treatment is aimed where the problem actually is.
How We Treat Elbow Pain at HealthFirst
Our care begins with understanding the injury before treating it. On your first visit, our doctors take a full history and examine your elbow, wrist, and arm to pinpoint the source and rule out other causes.
Chiropractic care is not just for the spine. Our doctors also treat the extremities, and restricted movement in the wrist, elbow, or even the neck and shoulder can contribute to elbow pain by changing how your arm works.
At our Westerville office, Dr. Ryan Zullo is certified in Active Release Technique and Graston Technique, two soft tissue methods that can be valuable for tendon injuries like these. On your second visit, your doctor reviews the result of tests and explains a plan built around your situation. You can explore our sports and extremity care and how we treat extremity and sports injuries at both locations.
When to Get Your Elbow Checked
Mild elbow soreness sometimes settles with rest. Pain that lingers beyond a week or two, interferes with your grip, or keeps returning deserves a proper evaluation.
The sooner the cause is identified, the sooner the right care can begin. Catching it early can also help you avoid changing how you use your arm in ways that create new problems.
Not sure whether you have tennis elbow or golfer’s elbow? Contact HealthFirst Chiropractic in Westerville at 614-890-2740, in Pickerington at 614-861-1333, or reach out online.
