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

Elbow pain when you golf that gets worse the more you play is often caused by repeated gripping and swinging that gradually strains the muscles and tendons around your elbow.

When you first start playing, your elbow may feel fine or only slightly sore. After several holes, however, you may notice that gripping the club, bringing it through the swing, or finishing the swing starts to bother the same spot more and more.

The muscles and tendons that control your wrist and hand attach around the elbow and work every time you grip and swing the club. Repeating that motion for an entire round can leave those areas strained and less comfortable with each additional swing.

The Swing Starts Hurting More After Repeated Gripping

Your elbow has to handle the same gripping and swinging motion over and over.

Every golf swing requires your forearm muscles to grip the club and control your wrist and hand. When those muscles and their tendons are already irritated, the repeated motion can make the elbow hurt more during the backswing, downswing, or follow-through instead of staying at the same level throughout the round.

By The Back Nine, Your Elbow Feels Much More Sore

Fatigue can make the pain more noticeable as the round continues.

As your forearm muscles tire, maintaining your usual grip and swing becomes harder on an already painful elbow. You may start the round feeling manageable discomfort and then find that each hole brings more soreness, tenderness, or pain until even a normal swing feels uncomfortable.

Why Your Elbow Pain Keeps Getting Worse During Golf

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 more I golf?

Repeated gripping and swinging can gradually strain the muscles and tendons around your elbow, making the pain more noticeable as you continue playing.

Can playing more golf make elbow pain worse?

Yes. Repeated swings can continue stressing an already painful elbow, especially when you keep playing despite increasing soreness.

Why does my elbow feel fine at first but hurt later in my round?

Your elbow may become more painful as the muscles and tendons around it fatigue from repeated gripping and swinging.

Can gripping a golf club cause elbow pain?

Yes. Repeated or forceful gripping works the forearm muscles and tendons that attach around the elbow and can contribute to pain.

When should elbow pain from golf be evaluated?

Persistent, severe, or worsening elbow pain should be evaluated by a qualified healthcare professional, especially if you develop weakness, numbness, or loss of normal arm function.

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.