Golfer's Elbow: Causes, Symptoms, and How We Can Help
- staystrongtherapy
- Jun 30
- 4 min read
All information in this blog is supported by NICE guidance and peer-reviewed research. Reference numbers appear throughout, with the full list at the bottom of the page.
What Is Golfer's Elbow?
Golfer's elbow, medically known as medial epicondylitis, is the inner-elbow counterpart to tennis elbow. It manifests as chronic tendinosis of the wrist flexor and pronator muscles attaching to the medial epicondyle, the bony bump on the inner side of the elbow, and typically arises from repetitive stress through forearm pronation or wrist flexion. ¹
Despite the name, it isn't limited to golfers, anyone whose work or activities involve repeated gripping, throwing, or wrist flexion can develop it, including manual workers, racquet sport players, and weightlifters.
Common Signs and Symptoms
Pain and tenderness on the inner side of the elbow, sometimes spreading down the forearm
Pain worsened by gripping, wrist flexion, or forearm rotation (pronation)
Stiffness in the elbow, particularly first thing in the morning
Weakness in the hand or wrist
Occasionally, tingling or numbness if the nearby ulnar nerve becomes irritated
How Common Is It, and Who Gets It?
Golfer's elbow is considerably less common than tennis elbow. It affects around 1% of the general population, though it accounts for 3.8% to 8.2% of work-related complaints, and most commonly affects people aged 40 to 60. ² It is also worth knowing that the two conditions are not mutually exclusive, both can occasionally coexist in the same elbow. ³
How Is It Diagnosed?
Golfer's elbow is generally a self-limiting condition, with most people improving spontaneously over 1 to 2 years. ⁴ Diagnosis is based on history and clinical examination, with tenderness localised over the medial epicondyle and symptoms reproduced by resisted wrist flexion and forearm pronation. As with tennis elbow, imaging is not usually required to confirm the diagnosis or guide first-line treatment.
When Should You Be Concerned? Red Flags to Watch For
Golfer's elbow is a benign condition. Please seek medical assessment if you experience:
Significant swelling, redness, or warmth around the elbow (possible infection)
Numbness, tingling, or weakness spreading into the ring and little fingers, which may suggest ulnar nerve involvement
Elbow pain following significant trauma, with deformity or inability to move the arm
Fever or feeling generally unwell alongside elbow pain
How We Can Help
NICE guidance recommends self-management advice and early access to physiotherapy as the first-line approach for both tennis elbow and golfer's elbow. ⁵ As with tennis elbow, the evidence supports active, exercise-led treatment over rest or passive treatment alone.
Osteopathic manual techniques and manual therapy: hands-on treatment helps restore movement at the elbow, wrist, and surrounding joints, and is used alongside exercise rather than as a replacement for it.
Deep tissue and sports massage: targeted soft tissue work, including deep transverse friction massage, helps reduce tension in the flexor-pronator muscle group and supports tendon healing.
Medical acupuncture and cupping: used alongside exercise-based treatment to support pain management during rehabilitation.
Corticosteroid injection: can offer short-term relief but, as with tennis elbow, carries a higher recurrence rate than structured physiotherapy, so it is not generally recommended as a first-line option.
Exercise: The Cornerstone of Recovery
Progressive, graded loading exercise targeting the wrist flexor and pronator muscles is central to recovery.
Eccentric wrist flexion: using the unaffected hand to lift the affected wrist into flexion, then slowly lowering it against gravity with the affected arm.
Isometric wrist flexion holds: useful in the early, more irritable stage, holding the wrist in flexion against light resistance without movement.
Forearm pronation and supination strengthening: gradually building tolerance to the rotational movements that commonly aggravate symptoms.
Progressive grip strengthening: reintroduced gradually as symptoms allow.
Your practitioner will guide a structured loading programme tailored to your stage of recovery, since pushing too hard too soon can aggravate symptoms.
What to Expect at Your First Appointment
We will take a thorough history and carry out a hands-on assessment of the elbow, wrist, and forearm, including checking for any ulnar nerve involvement. We will explain clearly what we find and build a progressive treatment plan combining manual therapy with a tailored exercise programme.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a scan? No, imaging is not usually needed to diagnose or guide treatment for golfer's elbow.
Should I have a steroid injection? It can help short-term pain, but recurrence rates are higher than with structured exercise-based physiotherapy.
How long will it take to improve? Golfer's elbow is generally self-limiting, with most people improving within 1 to 2 years, though structured exercise can meaningfully speed up recovery and reduce symptoms much sooner than that.
Can I have tennis elbow and golfer's elbow at the same time? Yes, although uncommon, the two conditions can coexist in the same elbow, so a thorough assessment of both the inner and outer elbow is worthwhile if you have pain on both sides.
Recognise these symptoms? Get in touch using the contact form and we will assess and build the right treatment plan for you.
References
Medial Epicondylitis. StatPearls Publishing. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK557869/
Medial Epicondylitis (Golfer's Elbow) - Clinical Presentation and Treatment. PubMed. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35979571/
Simultaneous Open Surgical Release for Coexistent Lateral and Medial Epicondylitis in the Same Elbow: A Case Report. Cureus. 2026. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12924659/
Tennis elbow/golfers elbow. NHS Lothian RefHelp, citing NICE CKS. Available at: https://apps.nhslothian.scot/refhelp/guidelines/musculoskeletalphysiotherapy/shoulderelbow/tennis-elbow-golfers-elbow/
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Clinical Knowledge Summary, Tennis Elbow. Available at: https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/tennis-elbow/
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