I Have Golfer’s Elbow and Throwing a Baseball Makes My Elbow Hurt

Your elbow hurts when you throw a baseball because repeated throwing can stress the tendon on the inside of your elbow and bring your golfer’s elbow pain back.

If your elbow feels fairly comfortable while you are resting but hurts as soon as you start throwing a baseball, the throwing motion may be bringing the pain back. You may notice an ache during the throw, a sharper sensation as you release the ball, or soreness that becomes more obvious after several throws.

You may also find that the first few throws are manageable but your elbow starts complaining as you continue. The pain can make you hesitate before throwing hard, change how naturally you throw, or leave the inside of your elbow sore once you stop.

Your Elbow Hurts More As You Keep Throwing

The inside of your elbow becomes increasingly sore as repeated throws add up.

You may start with only a mild ache and then notice the pain becoming harder to ignore with each throw. Firmly gripping the baseball and repeatedly moving your arm through the throwing motion can continue stressing the tendon, especially when you throw harder or make many throws close together.

Your Elbow Stays Sore After You Finish Throwing

Your elbow may continue aching after the baseball is put away, even when the throwing itself has stopped.

You might notice tenderness on the inside of your elbow when you bend or straighten your arm later. If the soreness is still present when you return to throwing, another session can bring the same pain back before the area has had enough time to recover.

Why Your Elbow Keeps Hurting During Baseball Throws

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 golfer’s elbow hurt when I throw a baseball?

Repeated throwing can stress the tendon on the inside of your elbow, making your existing golfer’s elbow pain more noticeable during the throw.

Why does my elbow hurt more after several throws?

Repeated throws keep stressing the same area, so your elbow may become increasingly sore or painful as the throwing session continues.

Can throwing a baseball make golfer’s elbow worse?

Yes. Continuing to throw while your elbow is painful can repeatedly aggravate the area and keep the pain returning.

Why does my elbow feel fine until I start throwing?

Your elbow may be comfortable during rest but become painful when throwing repeatedly stresses the tendon affected by golfer’s elbow.

Should I keep throwing if my golfer’s elbow hurts?

If throwing consistently brings back or increases your elbow pain, reducing or stopping the activity until the area improves can help prevent repeated aggravation.

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.