Why Did I Feel A Pop In My Elbow During My Golf Swing?

You felt a pop in your elbow during your golf swing because a tendon, ligament, or other structure around the elbow was suddenly strained as force traveled through the arm.

You may remember the exact swing when it happened. The pop often catches you off guard, making you stop immediately because something suddenly feels wrong. Even if the pain is not severe at first, the elbow can quickly become sore when you grip the club, bend your arm, or try another swing.

The force generated during a golf swing travels through your hands, wrists, and elbows in a split second. If a tendon or ligament is already irritated or tight from previous rounds, one powerful swing can be enough to produce a noticeable pop and leave the elbow feeling unstable or painful afterward.

The Pop Happens At The Moment You Strike The Ball

You feel a sudden snap just as the club makes contact.

This often happens when the tendons around the inside or outside of the elbow are placed under a sudden load. The pop may be followed by immediate pain or simply a feeling that the elbow no longer feels normal when you continue swinging.

The Elbow Doesn't Feel Trustworthy After The Pop

You hesitate to grip the club because the elbow feels weak or painful.

Even if you can still move your arm, you may notice discomfort every time you grip the club firmly or fully straighten your elbow. That usually means the irritated area has not settled down and repeated swings continue to aggravate it.

Why Your Elbow Could Be Taking Longer To Heal

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 did my elbow pop during my golf swing?

A pop usually means a tendon, ligament, or another structure around the elbow was suddenly strained during the swing.

Should I stop playing after my elbow pops?

Yes. Continuing to swing through pain can make the injury worse if the elbow has been strained.

Is it normal for my elbow to feel weak after it popped?

Yes. Weakness after a pop is common because the injured area may not tolerate gripping or swinging normally.

Will an elbow pop always cause swelling?

No. Some elbow strains cause pain and weakness without noticeable swelling right away.

When should I have my elbow evaluated?

If the pain is severe, you cannot grip normally, your range of motion is limited, or symptoms continue to worsen, you 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.