Elbow pain can sneak up fast, especially if you golf, lift, or do repetitive gripping work. One round feels fine, the next you’re dealing with pain on the inside of your elbow that lingers every time you swing, grip a club, or even shake someone’s hand.
This condition, commonly referred to as "golfer’s elbow", isn’t something you fix by changing your swing or resting indefinitely. Real, lasting improvement comes from addressing the elbow as part of a larger system, one that includes mobility, stability, and strength through the wrist, elbow, and shoulder.
When rehab skips steps or focuses only on the painful area, symptoms tend to stick around. When it’s done in the right order, pain calms down and performance comes back.
Understanding Golfer’s Elbow
Golfer’s elbow (medial epicondylitis) involves irritation of the tendons on the inside of the elbow that help control wrist flexion and forearm rotation. These tissues get overloaded when:
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Grip demands are high
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Wrist position isn’t controlled
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Shoulder and scapular stability are lacking
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The elbow compensates for movement it shouldn’t be doing
The elbow is a connector joint. When the shoulder and wrist don’t do their jobs well, the elbow pays the price.
Step 1: Restore Mobility and Tissue Quality
Before strengthening anything, the irritated tissue needs room to move again.
Direct soft tissue work to the forearm can help reduce tone and sensitivity, allowing blood flow to improve and tension to settle. Using a barbell sleeve, foam roller, or similar tool to apply pressure along the forearm musculature can be an effective way to start restoring mobility.
This step isn’t about smashing tissue, it’s about calming it down enough so the nervous system allows normal movement again.
Mobility prepares the area for work, but it’s only the first step.
Step 2: Build Stability Where It Actually Matters
One of the biggest mistakes people make with golfer’s elbow is jumping straight into isolated wrist curls. Strengthening without control often makes symptoms worse.
The priority early on should be stability, especially through:
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The wrist in a neutral position
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The elbow under light load
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The shoulder and scapula
When performing stability drills, the goal is to keep the wrist neutral — not flexed up, not extended down — while the arm moves through space. This teaches the elbow and forearm to transmit force instead of absorbing it.
Band-resisted movements that travel across the body are particularly effective because they:
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Engage the shoulder blade
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Challenge trunk control
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Reduce strain on the elbow
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Improve coordination through the entire chain
High-repetition, low-load sets (20–30 reps) help reintroduce movement without flaring symptoms.
This phase is where pain often starts to noticeably decrease.
Step 3: Strengthen the Forearm, At the Right Time
Once pain has settled and stability has improved, direct strengthening of the forearm becomes important.
At this stage, controlled banded work for wrist flexion and extension can be layered in:
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Palm-up movements to load the flexors
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Palm-down movements to load the extensors
These should be performed with:
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Slow tempo
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Full control
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No compensatory wrist motion
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Moderate volume (2–3 sets of 12–15 reps)
Strength work is essential, but only after mobility and stability have been addressed. Jumping here too soon is one of the main reasons golfer’s elbow becomes chronic.
Why the Order Matters
Rehabbing golfer’s elbow isn’t about finding one “magic exercise.” It’s about sequencing:
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Mobility – calm the tissue and restore motion
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Stability – teach the system to control load
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Strength – build capacity once pain allows
When these steps are skipped or reversed, the elbow never truly recovers. When they’re done in order, symptoms fade and the arm becomes more resilient than before.
How This Helps You Stay on the Course (and in the Gym)
Golfer’s elbow doesn’t just affect your swing. It impacts training, daily tasks, and confidence in your grip. Addressing the elbow properly allows you to:
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Swing without hesitation
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Grip without pain
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Train upper body without flare-ups
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Prevent recurrence long-term
Most importantly, it keeps you doing what you enjoy without constantly worrying about aggravating symptoms.
Watch the Video
Here’s a visual breakdown of how to address golfer’s elbow using mobility, stability, and progressive strength work:
The Takeaway
Golfer’s elbow isn’t just an elbow problem. It’s a coordination and load-management issue across the entire upper extremity.
Fixing it requires:
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Calming the tissue
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Improving control
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Building strength at the right time
Do that, and you don’t just get out of pain. You stay out of it.
Ready to Fix Your Elbow Pain?
If elbow pain has lingered for weeks or months, or if it keeps returning every time you ramp up activity, it’s time for a deeper look.
At Bax Performance and Rehab, we assess how your shoulder, elbow, and wrist work together, not just where the pain shows up. That approach is what allows us to resolve elbow pain instead of chasing it.
Let’s get you back to swinging, lifting, and training without pain.
📞 Call/Text: (925) 397-0399
📧 Email: Abigail@BaxPerformanceRehab.com
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