Westside Chiropractic
Tennis elbow and golfer’s elbow care in Burlington.
You don’t need a racquet to get tennis elbow, or a set of clubs to get golfer’s elbow. Plenty of the people we see with either one have never played the sport. Both are tendon problems that build up from gripping and repeated use of the wrist and hand, and both often respond well to a patient, gradual plan.
What tennis and golfer’s elbow can feel like
The main difference is which side hurts. Tennis elbow, or lateral epicondylalgia (pain at the bony bump on the outside of the elbow), tends to bite when you grip and lift with your palm down, like picking up a full kettle or a coffee mug. Golfer’s elbow, or medial epicondylalgia (the same kind of pain at the bump on the inside), tends to flare with hard gripping, heavy carrying, or bending the wrist forward against resistance. Either one can ache into the forearm and leave your grip feeling weaker than it should.
Common causes we see
Several forearm muscles that move your wrist and fingers share one small tendon attachment on each side of the elbow. Picture a handful of ropes tied to the same small hook: every time you grip, they all pull on that hook. Do that hundreds of times a day, or suddenly far more than usual, and the tendon there can develop tendinopathy (a tendon that has become irritated and less tolerant of load). Long days on a mouse, a weekend of gardening or renovating, a new tool at work, or carrying a toddler around are typical triggers.
Your care
How we help
The core of care is gradually rebuilding the tendon’s tolerance for gripping through exercise and rehab. The evidence is consistent that graded loading is a first-line approach for tendinopathy, and the idea is to help the tendon at that hook get used to the pull again. We also look at your grip, tools, and desk setup, since small changes there can ease the load while the tendon adapts. Hands-on care may include soft tissue therapy, chiropractic adjustments to the elbow, wrist, or neck, medical acupuncture, or massage therapy with Jody Maxwell, RMT. Some discomfort during the exercises is often okay if it settles by the next day. Tendon pain is a signal to adjust, not proof of damage. If care here is not the right fit, we will tell you and refer you on.
How we assess it
We ask about your work and hobbies, find exactly where it is tender, and test which movements bring it on, including gripping and resisting wrist movement in each direction. We check your grip, wrist, and shoulder, and screen the neck and the nerves of the arm, since an irritated nerve can feel a lot like tendon pain. With inner elbow pain, we also check the ulnar nerve (the nerve you hit when you bump your funny bone, which runs to the ring and little fingers).
When to get it checked sooner
Most elbow pain is not serious, but see a medical doctor promptly if your elbow is hot, red, and swollen, if the pain followed a fall and the elbow looks deformed or you cannot straighten it, or if you have numbness or tingling into the ring and little fingers that is constant or getting worse, or weakness in your hand. These point to something other than tennis or golfer’s elbow. We will refer you on if your assessment suggests it.
Common questions
Tennis elbow and golfer’s elbow questions
Can a chiropractor help with tennis elbow?
How long does tennis elbow take to settle?
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