Your inner elbow still hurts even though you've stopped playing golf because the irritated tendon may still be recovering, and everyday gripping, lifting, and twisting can keep it from settling down.
Your inner elbow still feels sore even after you've stopped playing golf because the tendon is often stressed by normal daily activities long after you leave the course. Gripping tools, carrying groceries, opening jars, using a computer mouse, or lifting objects can keep the area painful and slow its recovery.
You may have expected your elbow to improve within a few weeks after putting your clubs away, only to find it still aches when you shake hands, pour coffee, pick up a bag, or twist a doorknob. That lingering pain can be frustrating because it feels like you've already removed the original cause.
Golfer's elbow usually develops over time rather than from one single swing. Even though you've stopped golfing, the tendon on the inside of your elbow may still be irritated by the small gripping and wrist movements you perform throughout the day. Those repeated motions can make recovery take much longer than expected.
Everyday Tasks Keep Recreating The Same Pain
Your elbow may hurt most during simple activities that never seemed demanding before.
You might notice pain when lifting a kettle, carrying shopping bags, typing for long periods, or squeezing a spray bottle. Even though these movements feel minor, they repeatedly ask the healing tendon to work before it has fully recovered, allowing the soreness to linger.
The Elbow Feels Better Some Days Then Suddenly Flares Again
The recovery can seem unpredictable even when you're no longer golfing.
You may go several days with only mild soreness, then wake up after yard work, home repairs, or a workout with the familiar pain back again. These repeated flare-ups often happen because the tendon has become sensitive to activities that normally wouldn't bother a healthy elbow.
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 same 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 still hurt after I stopped playing golf?
Because daily gripping, lifting, and twisting can continue stressing the healing tendon even after you've stopped golfing.
How long can golfer's elbow take to heal?
Recovery often takes several months, especially if the tendon has been irritated for a long time before you stopped playing.
Can everyday activities slow my recovery?
Yes. Carrying bags, using hand tools, typing, and repetitive gripping can keep the elbow sore.
Should I completely avoid using my arm?
No. Gentle movement is usually helpful, but repeated painful activities should be reduced while the tendon recovers.
When should I see a healthcare professional?
If your pain continues to worsen, limits normal use of your arm, or doesn't improve after several weeks of appropriate care, you should be evaluated.
Recommended Products
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• Acute Sinew Liniment — Used when pain, swelling, and inflammation are present to relieve pain, reduce swelling and inflammation, and increase blood flow and circulation to injured tissues.
• Sinew Herbal Ice — Used when the injured area is especially swollen, red, or warm to the touch to reduce swelling and inflammation while restoring normal circulation and range of motion.
• Chronic Sinew Liniment — Used for pain and stiffness after swelling and inflammation are gone to relieve pain, strongly stimulate circulation, and promote the healing of injured tendons and ligaments.
• Sinew Injury Poultice — Used for chronic tendon and ligament injuries to significantly stimulate circulation and promote deeper tissue recovery.
• Sinew Sports Massage Oil — Used before or after activity to warm and stimulate muscles, increase circulation, relieve tightness, and improve flexibility in muscles and joints.
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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.
