I Have Elbow Pain When I Golf and It Gets Worse the Longer I Play

Elbow pain when you golf that gets worse the longer you play can happen when repeated swings and gripping increasingly strain the muscles and tendons around your elbow.

If your elbow feels manageable when you begin playing but starts hurting more as the round continues, the repeated swings may be stressing the same area over and over. The muscles in your forearm and the tendons around your elbow help control your wrist and forearm during the swing, so they remain active every time you grip the club and hit the ball.

As those muscles become tired, the elbow may become less comfortable with each additional swing. The pain can begin as something you barely notice and gradually become harder to ignore as you continue playing.

The Repeated Swing Keeps Working Your Elbow

Your elbow has to handle the same gripping and forearm movement again and again.

Every golf swing asks the muscles and tendons around your elbow to help control your wrist and forearm. When you repeat that motion throughout a round, the same area keeps being asked to work, which can make pain more noticeable when the elbow is already irritated.

The Pain Becomes More Noticeable Late In Your Round

Fatigue can make your elbow less comfortable as the number of swings adds up.

You may feel relatively good during the first few holes and then notice the elbow hurting more as you get deeper into the round. As the forearm muscles tire, continuing to grip and swing can become harder for the irritated area to tolerate, causing the pain to build instead of staying at the same level.

Why Your Elbow Hurts More As You Play

Your elbow has a hard time healing when blood flow and circulation are limited.

Tendons, ligaments, and other soft tissues naturally receive less blood supply than many other parts of the body. Because of this, they often take longer to heal after repeated stress or injury, leaving you more vulnerable to lingering pain and a cycle of reinjury.

When circulation through the area remains limited, injured tissues have a harder time receiving the vital oxygen and nutrients they need to repair and heal. This can leave your elbow feeling stiff, tight, weak, or painful during everyday movement and activity.

What Can Help Your Elbow Feel Better

Your elbow starts feeling better when blood flow and circulation improve.

Chinese herbs have been used for centuries to promote healthy blood flow and circulation. Their medicinal properties help break up stagnant blood and fluids that remain trapped around injured tissues, interfering with circulation. As circulation improves, blood flows more freely through the area, allowing those tissues to receive the oxygen and nutrients they need to heal properly.

Topical herbal remedies made with these Chinese herbs can help relieve pain while improving blood flow and circulation to injured tissues. The right product depends on your symptoms and whether you're in the acute or chronic stage of recovery.

If you have pain, swelling, inflammation, or bruising, Acute Sinew Liniment helps relieve these symptoms by increasing circulation and dispersing stagnant blood and fluids around the injured area to speed recovery. During the acute stage of healing, getting circulation moving early allows injured tissues to receive the fresh blood, oxygen, and nutrients they need to repair and heal.

If your injured area is especially swollen, red, or warm to the touch after a recent injury or flare-up, Sinew Herbal Ice is also used to reduce swelling and inflammation while restoring normal circulation so you can quickly regain range of motion. While traditional ice is commonly used to reduce swelling, Sinew Herbal Ice acts as an ice alternative to reduce swelling and inflammation while also dispersing accumulated blood and fluids to speed the healing process.

If you no longer have swelling or inflammation, but still have pain, stiffness, weakness, or sensitivity in cold and damp weather, Chronic Sinew Liniment helps relieve these symptoms by strongly stimulating circulation and increasing blood supply to injured tendons and ligaments to promote their healing. This is especially important because tendons and ligaments naturally receive less blood supply, which is why chronic injuries can take longer to heal.

If you have residual pain and stiffness, or the area becomes more painful in cold weather, Sinew Injury Poultice is also used to significantly stimulate circulation to injured tendons and ligaments to further promote their healing. By strongly increasing circulation, it counteracts the reduced blood flow caused by cold weather that commonly aggravates chronic tendon and ligament injuries.

If you exercise, play sports, or do other strenuous activities, Sinew Sports Massage Oil warms and stimulates muscles for exertion and relieves muscle tightness and soreness after activity. Warming and preparing your muscles before activity can improve flexibility, enhance performance, and reduce the risk of injury.

Frequently Asked Questions

You may also find these commonly asked questions helpful.

Why does my elbow pain get worse the longer I golf?

Repeated swings and gripping keep stressing the muscles and tendons around your elbow, so the pain can become more noticeable as the round continues.

Why does my elbow hurt more during the second half of a golf round?

As you continue swinging, fatigue can make the irritated area harder to tolerate, causing the elbow pain to become more noticeable later in the round.

Can playing golf repeatedly make elbow pain worse?

Yes. Repeated swinging and gripping can continue stressing an already painful elbow and make symptoms worse during activity.

Why does my elbow feel fine at the start of golf but hurt later?

The elbow may tolerate the first few swings before repeated movement and fatigue make the existing irritation more noticeable.

When should recurring elbow pain from golf be evaluated?

Persistent, severe, or worsening elbow pain, especially with significant weakness, swelling, or restricted movement, should be evaluated by a qualified healthcare professional.

The information provided here is intended to help you better understand your symptoms and recovery, but it is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

Persistent, severe, or worsening symptoms should be evaluated by a qualified healthcare professional.