I Have Elbow Pain When I Golf and It Hurts When I Straighten My Arm

Elbow pain when you golf that hurts when you straighten your arm can come from repeated gripping and swinging that strains the tendons around the elbow.

When your elbow hurts during golf and straightening your arm brings the pain back, the problem can be related to the repeated work your forearm muscles do throughout the swing. Every time you grip the club and control the club through impact, the muscles and tendons around your elbow are working, and repeated swings can leave them strained and sensitive.

That irritation can make normal elbow movement less comfortable, especially when you try to fully straighten your arm after several swings. If the area has become tender from repeated use, reaching for something, extending your arm, or taking another swing can bring the pain back because the irritated tendons are being asked to work again.

Straightening Your Arm Pulls On The Irritated Tendons

Straightening your arm puts tension on the muscles and tendons around your elbow.

When you straighten your arm, the muscles and tendons around the elbow have to lengthen and adjust as the joint moves into a more open position. If those tendons have been stressed by repeated gripping and swinging, that movement can produce a pulling or painful sensation that is especially noticeable when you try to fully straighten your arm.

Repeated Swings Make Straightening More Painful

As the round continues, the elbow has less tolerance for repeated gripping and swinging.

With each additional swing, your forearm muscles continue working to control the club, and fatigue can make the area work harder than it did at the beginning of the round. This accumulated demand can make your elbow pain more noticeable later in the round or when you straighten your arm afterward, even if the first few swings felt manageable.

Why Your Elbow Keeps Hurting When Straightened

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 hurt when I straighten my arm after golfing?

Repeated gripping and swinging can strain the tendons around your elbow, making full arm extension painful after golfing.

Can golf cause elbow pain when straightening the arm?

Yes. Repeated swings and firm gripping can place repeated stress on the muscles and tendons around your elbow.

Why does straightening my arm make my golf elbow hurt more?

Straightening your arm lengthens and moves the tissues around the elbow, which can aggravate tendons that have been stressed during golfing.

Why does my elbow hurt more after playing golf?

Repeated swings can fatigue the forearm muscles and increase stress around the elbow, making pain more noticeable later in your round or afterward.

What should I do if my elbow still hurts when I straighten my arm?

Reduce activities that aggravate the pain and consider having persistent or worsening elbow symptoms 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.