Bones & Joints
Golfer's Elbow
Pain on the inner side of the elbow from overusing the forearm tendons — the inner-elbow cousin of tennis elbow, eased by rest and gradual strengthening.
Also known as: Medial epicondylitis, Thrower's elbow
📝 At a glance
Likely root causes: Repetitive gripping, lifting, throwing, or wrist-bending; Sudden increase in a forearm-heavy activity; Poor technique in sports or repetitive work.
First thing to try: Rest the arm from the gripping and wrist movements that cause it — the key step.
See a doctor if: Pain that doesn't improve with rest over several weeks
🔎 Start with the cause
Lasting relief rarely comes from covering a symptom. First find what is feeding the problem, change what you can, and then help the body do what it was designed to do — heal.
Likely root causes
- Repetitive gripping, lifting, throwing, or wrist-bending
- Sudden increase in a forearm-heavy activity
- Poor technique in sports or repetitive work
- Age-related tendon wear
Change what you can
- Rest the arm from the gripping and wrist movements that cause it — the key step.
- Ice the inner elbow for 15 minutes after activity to calm inflammationThe body's natural response to injury — like redness, swelling, or heat around a sore spot. More →.
- Once the sharp pain settles, do gentle forearm stretches and slow strengthening to rebuild the tendon.
- Switch to warmth before activity to loosen the area, and address the technique or task that triggered it.
- Use a forearm strap or brace during activity to take strain off the sore tendon.
- Warm up and stretch the forearm before repetitive gripping tasks or sports.
- Improve your grip and technique, and use lighter, well-fitted tools to reduce strain.
- See a doctor if pain is severe, lingers for weeks, or comes with numbness or tingling in the hand.
🌿 Then assist nature: remedies & protocols
With the cause being addressed, these are the actual things people do for this — ranked by the community. Vote ▲ on what helped you and ▼ on what didn't, and open How to do it for the steps. Each shows two quick signals: Evidence (how much science backs it) and Gentleness (how safe and in keeping with whole, natural health).
★ Start here — our first-line pick, pinned for safety
Resting the aggravating motion and icing is the safest, most foundational first step for golfer's elbow.
How to do it ▾
Why it works: Repetitive gripping and wrist-bending strains the tendons on the inner elbow; resting from those motions and icing calms the inflammation so healing can begin.
- Rest the arm from the specific gripping, lifting, or wrist movements that trigger pain — this is the most important step.
- Apply an ice pack to the inner elbow for about 15 minutes after any activity.
- Avoid activities that reproduce the pain until it settles.
- Gradually reintroduce activity only once sharp pain has eased.
15 minutes per icing session · After activity, as needed
Caution: Numbness or tingling into the hand suggests nerve involvement and should be checked by a doctor. Pushing through the pain keeps the tendon from healing and can prolong recovery.
When to get help: See a doctor for pain that doesn't improve with rest over several weeks, numbness or weakness spreading into the hand, or sudden severe pain after an injury.
Source: Orthopedic rehabilitation guidance
Comments & experiences ▾
Also helps — ranked by the community (vote to reorder)
A supportive rebuilding step once the initial rest and ice phase has calmed sharp pain.
How to do it ▾
Why it works: Warmth increases blood flow and tissue pliability, making the tendon more receptive to the gentle stretching and gradual strengthening that rebuilds its resilience.
- Apply warmth to the forearm and elbow for 5-10 minutes before activity.
- Perform gentle wrist and forearm stretches within a comfortable range.
- Progress to slow, light strengthening exercises only once stretching is pain-free.
- Stop and rest if sharp pain returns.
10-15 minutes per session · Daily once sharp pain has settled
Caution: Do not begin strengthening while sharp pain is still present; this can worsen the injury. Stop any stretch or exercise that reproduces sharp pain rather than pushing through.
When to get help: See a doctor if pain persists or worsens over several weeks despite this routine, or if numbness or weakness develops in the hand.
Source: Orthopedic rehabilitation guidance
Comments & experiences ▾
A root-cause step to prevent golfer's elbow from recurring once the acute pain has settled.
How to do it ▾
Why it works: Since golfer's elbow often stems from repeated poor technique or overuse in a specific activity, correcting that root cause prevents the tendon strain from recurring.
- Identify the specific activity, sport, or work task associated with the pain.
- Seek guidance on proper technique, grip size, or equipment adjustments.
- Gradually increase the intensity of any forearm-heavy activity rather than resuming abruptly.
- Build in regular rest breaks during repetitive tasks.
Ongoing during and after recovery · Applied continuously going forward
Caution: Returning to the same technique or workload that caused the injury risks a quick recurrence. Sudden increases in forearm-heavy activity after recovery can re-trigger symptoms.
When to get help: See a doctor if pain returns and doesn't improve with rest, or if numbness, tingling, or weakness develops in the hand.
Source: Orthopedic rehabilitation guidance
Comments & experiences ▾
How the numbers work: a weighted voting system — trusted published sources cast endorsement votes for each protocol, and your ▲/▼ adds to them. Not medical advice.
🩺 When to see a doctor
- Pain that doesn't improve with rest over several weeks
- Numbness, tingling, or weakness spreading into the hand
- Sudden severe pain or any deformity after an injury
🌿 The seven pathways to health
Seven pathways for your golfer's elbow — tap the circle to check one off (saved on your device), or ask Remy for help.
“Disease is an effort of nature to free the system from conditions that result from a violation of the laws of health... In case of sickness 1cause should be ascertained, 2go to work intelligently to remove the disease. 3Unhealthful conditions should be changed, 4wrong habits corrected. 5Then nature is to be assisted in her effort 6to expel impurities and 7to re-establish right conditions in the system.”
🌿 Overview
Golfer's elbow is pain and tenderness on the *inner* side of the elbow, where the forearm tendons attach, from overuse or repetitive gripping and wrist bending. It's the inner-elbow counterpart to tennis elbow, and most cases settle with rest, ice, and gradual strengthening.
Repetitive gripping, lifting, throwing, or wrist-flexing strains the tendons on the inner elbow, causing pain that can spread down the forearm and a weaker grip. Despite the name, it's far more common from everyday tasks and work than from golf.
Rest from the aggravating activity is the foundation, with ice for flares, gentle stretches, and a slow strengthening program once pain allows. It's usually patient but reliable healing; numbness or tingling into the hand, or pain that won't settle, deserves a doctor's look.
Common signs
- Pain and tenderness on the inner side of the elbow
- Pain that may spread down the inner forearm
- A weaker or painful grip
- Worse with gripping, lifting, or bending the wrist
🍃 Supporting foods & habits
The gentle, everyday foods and supports that help in the background — secondary to the active remedies above. Vote on what helped you.
Ice the inner elbow for 15 minutes after activity to calm the tendon inflammation.940
Once pain eases, do gentle forearm stretches and slow strengthening to rebuild the tendon.940
How the numbers work: this is a weighted voting system — every published book or article recommending a remedy counts as an endorsement vote, and your ▲/▼ counts too. Not medical advice. *Ties are broken by our editor score (sources, safety, simplicity, cost, lifestyle fit, eight-laws alignment).
🍽️ Eating to help
Food is one of the gentlest medicines — small, steady changes help most.
Favor these
- Anti-inflammatory whole foods; turmeric
- Adequate protein for tendon repair
Go easy on
- Highly processed, inflammatory foods
An anti-inflammatory diet supports recovery while rest does the real work.
⚖️ Good to know
- Numbness or tingling into the hand suggests nerve involvement — get it checked.
- Pushing through the pain keeps the tendon from healing.
- Pain that doesn't improve over weeks warrants evaluation.
⚕️ What a doctor may offerConventional treatments for this condition — for your information.Show ▾
RemedyRank's heart is natural healing — and honest information. Here is what conventional medical care commonly involves for this condition, listed to inform, never to promote. Decisions about treatment belong with you and your own physician.
Golfer's elbow is treated conservatively with rest, ice, and rehabilitation; injections or surgery are rare.
Commonly offered
- Rest, activity modification, and a forearm strap–
- NSAIDs and ice for pain–
- Physical therapy with eccentric strengthening–
- Steroid injection or, rarely, surgery for stubborn cases–
Worth knowing
- Numbness or tingling into the hand needs evaluation.
- Address the repetitive cause to prevent recurrence.
- Persistent pain warrants a clinician's review.
👍/👎 shares whether a treatment helped you — community experience, not medical advice. For full professional details, see the sources under “Learn more” below.
📜 A note from history
Named for the sport but mostly caused by everyday strain, golfer's elbow shaped rest-and-rebuild tendon care.
📚 Learn more
Sources for further reading. These open in a new tab.
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