It often shows up in the small moments. A twinge when you lift your coffee mug, a sharp ache when you shake someone’s hand, or a nagging soreness when you turn a doorknob or grip the steering wheel. Elbow pain has a way of interfering with things you never used to think about. Two of the most common culprits are tennis elbow and golfer’s elbow, and here is the surprising part: you do not have to play either sport to develop them.
The good news is that these conditions usually respond well to conservative care. At Premier Chiropractic Center in Bessemer, Dr. Roshun Glover helps active adults, workers, and weekend warriors across the Birmingham area find relief from elbow pain by looking at the whole arm, not just the sore spot.
What Are Tennis Elbow and Golfer’s Elbow?
Both conditions are overuse injuries of the tendons that connect your forearm muscles to the bony bumps on either side of your elbow. Tennis elbow affects the outer side of the elbow and tends to come from repetitive wrist and forearm motions, especially those that extend the wrist. Golfer’s elbow affects the inner side of the elbow and is usually linked to repeated gripping and flexing of the wrist.
In both cases, repeated stress creates tiny tears in the tendon where it attaches to the bone. Over time, this leads to pain, tenderness, and inflammation. Despite the names, most people who develop these conditions never pick up a racket or a golf club. Any activity that puts repeated strain on the forearm can be the cause.
Common Causes and Who Gets Them
Elbow tendon injuries usually build up gradually from repeated motions rather than a single event. Common contributors include:
- Manual and trade work. Painting, plumbing, carpentry, cooking, and assembly work all involve repetitive gripping and twisting.
- Desk and computer use. Long hours of typing and mouse work can strain the forearm tendons over time.
- Sports and hobbies. Racket sports, throwing, weightlifting, and gardening are frequent triggers.
- A sudden increase in activity. Taking on a new project or ramping up a workout too quickly can overload the tendons.
These conditions are most common in adults between about 30 and 50, but anyone who uses their arms repeatedly can be affected.
Symptoms to Watch For
The main sign is pain and tenderness at the elbow, on the outer side with tennis elbow or the inner side with golfer’s elbow. The discomfort often radiates down into the forearm and tends to flare up with gripping, lifting, or twisting motions, such as opening a jar, shaking hands, or holding a mug. You may also notice a weaker grip or stiffness, especially in the morning.
It is worth noting that elbow tendon pain is different from carpal tunnel syndrome. Carpal tunnel involves a compressed nerve and usually causes numbness or tingling in the fingers, while tennis and golfer’s elbow involve the tendons and produce a localized aching at the elbow. If you are unsure which you are dealing with, an evaluation can help sort it out.
Why Elbow Pain Sometimes Lingers
Tendons have a limited blood supply, so they tend to heal slowly. When you keep using the arm in the same way, the tendon keeps getting re-irritated before it has a chance to recover, which is why elbow pain can drag on for weeks or months.
There is also a bigger picture. Your elbow works together with your wrist, shoulder, and neck. If any of those areas are moving poorly or carrying extra strain, they can add to the load on the elbow. That is one reason rest alone sometimes is not enough to resolve the problem for good.
How Chiropractic Care Can Help
Chiropractic care takes a whole-arm approach to elbow pain. Rather than focusing only on the tender spot, the goal is to improve how the entire arm moves and shares the workload. Gentle adjustments to the joints of the elbow, wrist, and shoulder can help restore normal motion and reduce strain on the irritated tendons. Because the nerves that supply the arm originate in the neck, addressing the cervical spine can be part of the picture as well.
At Premier Chiropractic Center, Dr. Glover begins with a thorough evaluation to pinpoint what is driving your elbow pain and how your arm is moving as a whole. Care is tailored to you using gentle techniques. The Activator Method delivers precise, low-force adjustments well suited to the joints of the arm, and Diversified Adjusting offers a hands-on approach where it is helpful. Chiropractic care does not heal a tendon overnight, but by easing strain and supporting better mechanics, it can help your body recover and reduce the chance of the pain returning. Dr. Glover can also suggest activity changes to give the tendon a real chance to heal.
Simple Steps to Ease Elbow Pain at Home
Alongside professional care, a few changes can help calm the irritation:
- Ease off the activities that trigger your pain, at least until the tendon settles down.
- Gently stretch and later strengthen the forearm muscles as comfort allows.
- Apply ice after activity to help manage soreness and inflammation.
- Use ergonomic tools and a lighter grip, and consider a counterforce brace during activity.
When to Seek Help
Minor elbow soreness often eases with rest. But you should have your elbow evaluated if the pain lasts more than a couple of weeks, is severe, follows a specific injury, or comes with numbness, tingling, significant swelling, or a loss of motion. These can point to other issues, such as nerve involvement or a tendon tear, that need to be ruled out. A professional evaluation makes sure you get the right care for what is actually going on.
Find Relief From Elbow Pain in Bessemer
You do not have to wince every time you grip, lift, or shake a hand. With the right approach, most people recover from tennis elbow and golfer’s elbow and get back to the activities they enjoy.
If elbow or forearm pain has been getting in your way, Dr. Roshun Glover and the team at Premier Chiropractic Center in Bessemer are here to help. Book your appointment today and take the first step toward comfortable, pain-free movement.
Recent Comments