I Have Elbow Pain When I Golf and the Pain Shoots Down My Arm

Elbow pain that shoots down your arm while golfing can come from repeated gripping and swinging, which can strain the tendons and muscles around your elbow.

If you notice the pain beginning around your elbow and then traveling down your arm during a round, the repeated grip and swing may be putting more demand on the muscles and tendons that attach around the elbow. This is especially noticeable when you grip the club firmly, hit repeatedly, or spend a long time practicing the same swing.

The tissues around the elbow can become irritated when they are repeatedly stressed without enough relief between swings. As that irritation builds, normal wrist and forearm movement can become less comfortable, and the pain may extend farther down the arm instead of staying in one small spot.

Gripping And Swinging Keep Stressing Your Elbow

Your forearm muscles and their tendons work together to control the club.

Your forearm muscles work continuously when you hold the club, control your wrist, and guide the club through the swing. If the tendons around the elbow are already irritated, those repeated contractions can make the area hurt more and cause pain to travel into the forearm.

The Pain Builds As You Keep Taking Swings

Repeated swings can make the elbow and forearm work harder as the round continues.

At first, you may be able to swing normally, but repeated gripping and wrist movement can fatigue the muscles that support the elbow. Once they become tired, the same golf swing may become harder for the irritated area to tolerate, causing the pain to become more noticeable later in the round or immediately afterward.

Why Your Elbow Pain Keeps Shooting Down Your Arm

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 and shoot down my arm when I golf?

Repeated gripping, wrist movement, and swinging can strain the muscles and tendons around your elbow, causing pain that travels into your forearm.

Why does my elbow pain get worse as I golf?

Repeated swings can fatigue the muscles around your elbow and increase stress on already irritated tendons, making the pain more noticeable as you continue playing.

Can gripping a golf club cause elbow pain that travels down my arm?

Yes. A firm or repetitive grip can repeatedly work the forearm muscles and tendons attached around your elbow, contributing to pain that extends down the arm.

Why does my elbow hurt after playing golf even when it felt okay at first?

The repeated swings may gradually fatigue and irritate the tissues around your elbow, so the pain becomes more noticeable later in the round or afterward.

When should elbow pain that shoots down my arm be checked?

Persistent, severe, or worsening pain, especially with weakness, numbness, or other concerning symptoms, 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.