I Have Golfer’s Elbow and Playing Golf Makes My Elbow Feel Stiff

Your elbow feels stiff when you play golf because repeated gripping and swinging can keep the tendon on the inside of your elbow irritated and make movement feel restricted.

If you have golfer's elbow, the stiffness may show up when you first grip the club, during your swing, or when you straighten and bend your elbow between shots. The repeated gripping required to control the club can keep the muscles and tendons along the inside of your forearm working throughout the round, especially when you are hitting many shots.

Golfer's elbow involves the tendons that attach the forearm muscles to the inside of your elbow. When those tendons have been repeatedly stressed, normal movement can start to feel less smooth, so your elbow may feel tight or restricted even when you are not experiencing sharp pain.

Your Elbow Feels Stiff When You Grip And Swing

Repeated gripping keeps the muscles on the inside of your forearm working throughout the swing.

When you grip the club firmly, the muscles that control your wrist and fingers contract to keep your hand steady. Those muscles connect near the inside of your elbow, so repeated gripping and swinging can continue stressing the same area each time you take a shot, making the elbow feel stiff during the motion.

The Stiffness Builds As You Keep Playing

Repeated swings can make the elbow feel less loose as the round goes on.

As you keep playing, your forearm muscles have less opportunity to relax between swings, particularly when you are practicing repeatedly or playing a long round. The ongoing demand can make the inside of your elbow feel increasingly tight, so movements that felt comfortable early in the round may become more restricted later.

Why Your Elbow Keeps Feeling Stiff

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 feel stiff when I play golf with golfer's elbow?

Your elbow may feel stiff because repeated gripping and swinging keep stressing the tendons and forearm muscles on the inside of your elbow.

Why does golfer's elbow stiffness get worse during a round?

Repeated swings and gripping can make the affected area increasingly tired and irritated, so stiffness may become more noticeable as you continue playing.

Can gripping a golf club make golfer's elbow feel stiff?

Yes. Firm or repeated gripping activates the forearm muscles attached near the inside of your elbow, which can aggravate golfer's elbow and increase stiffness.

Should I keep playing golf if my elbow feels stiff?

If playing continues to increase your elbow stiffness or pain, reducing the activity and allowing the area to settle can help prevent further irritation.

How can I help my elbow feel less stiff after golf?

Reducing repeated gripping, avoiding movements that aggravate the elbow, and using appropriate recovery measures may help your elbow feel less stiff after playing.

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.