I Have Tennis Elbow and Golfing Makes the Outside of My Elbow Hurt

Your outside elbow hurts when you golf because the repeated gripping and swinging can keep the irritated tendon under stress.

If the outside of your elbow starts hurting during a golf swing, you may feel the pain most clearly as you grip the club, move through the swing, or finish the follow-through. The area can feel tender afterward, and even holding the club may become uncomfortable when your elbow is already irritated.

Golf can be especially frustrating when your elbow feels manageable during everyday activities but becomes painful once you start hitting balls. Repeated swings give the irritated tendon little chance to settle down, so the same pain can keep returning each time you practice or play.

The Pain Builds As You Keep Swinging

Your outside elbow starts hurting more after repeated swings.

You may feel only a little discomfort with the first few swings, then notice the pain becoming sharper or more noticeable as you continue. Repeated gripping and wrist movement can keep stressing the tendon, making each additional swing harder to tolerate.

Your Elbow Stays Sore After You Finish Golfing

Your elbow may still ache when the golf session is over.

You might finish playing and notice tenderness when you grip something, lift a cup, or straighten your arm later. If the elbow remains sore between sessions, returning to golf before it has had enough time to settle can make the same pain show up again during your next round.

Why Your Elbow Keeps Hurting 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 repeated irritation.

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 the outside of my elbow hurt when I golf with tennis elbow?

Repeated gripping and swinging can keep the tendon on the outside of your elbow under stress, causing pain during or after golfing.

Why does my tennis elbow hurt more after several golf swings?

As you continue swinging, repeated gripping and wrist movement can keep stressing the irritated tendon and make your elbow pain more noticeable.

Can golfing make tennis elbow keep coming back?

Yes. Continuing to golf while your elbow remains painful can repeatedly stress the area and keep the same symptoms returning.

Why is my elbow still sore after golfing?

Your elbow may remain sore because the tendon was repeatedly stressed during the swings, leaving it tender after the activity ends.

Should I keep golfing if the outside of my elbow hurts?

If golfing consistently causes or worsens your elbow pain, reducing the activity and allowing the area to settle 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.