Your elbow hurts, but you’re not sure if it’s from your backhand or your backswing. These two injuries may sound similar, but they affect different parts of the elbow and come from completely different movement patterns.
You might feel pain when gripping, lifting, or even shaking hands. But unless you know which condition you’re dealing with, it’s easy to treat the wrong thing and stay stuck in pain.
At Auto-Ness Physical Therapy, we see this all the time with active adults like you. You’re pushing to stay fit and competitive, but your elbow won’t let up—and it’s starting to affect your performance.
Let’s break down what really separates tennis elbow vs golf elbow, and how to finally start healing the right way.
If you’re feeling elbow pain while playing golf at Torrey Pines or during your early morning pickleball sessions in Balboa Park, you’re not alone. Tennis elbow and golfer’s elbow might sound similar, but the cause, location, and treatment are very different—and getting it wrong can delay your recovery.
Where It Hurts: Outer vs Inner Elbow
Tennis elbow affects the outer elbow, right at the lateral epicondyle. That’s the bony bump where your forearm muscles anchor. You usually feel it when gripping something with your palm facing down, especially if wrist extension is involved.
Golfer’s elbow, on the other hand, targets the inner elbow, at the medial epicondyle. We often see this show up during repetitive wrist flexion, such as gripping a golf club, lifting weights, or pulling. It can also cause tingling down into the little fingers.
What Causes It: Repetitive Strain and Overuse
Both tennis elbow and golfer’s elbow result from repetitive activity and poor load management over time. The tendons simply get overworked.
For tennis elbow, common triggers include:
- Wrist extension under tension
- Repetitive gripping in racquet sports or weightlifting
- Holding tools or paddles for long periods
For golfer’s elbow:
- Wrist flexion under load or in poor form
- Gripping motions with bent wrists
- Overtraining with a tight or uneven swing
We often see both conditions in weekend athletes, desk workers, and people who don’t realize their repetitive strain is building up until pain kicks in.
Why It Won’t Go Away on Its Own
If the pain persists, even after rest or bracing, your tendons are likely inflamed or irritated. That’s when we classify it as elbow tendonitis, either medial epicondylitis or lateral epicondylitis.
Using anti inflammatory medications or taking time off may dull the symptoms—but it won’t fix the root cause. Without proper treatment, you risk this turning into a chronic pain problem.
How We Help You Heal with Physical Therapy
As sports physical therapists, we focus on identifying what’s really stressing your elbow joint. Whether you’re a local tennis player at Barnes Tennis Center or hitting the driving range in Scripps Ranch, the first step is understanding how your whole body moves.
We often use:
- Manual therapy to reduce soft tissue tension and improve circulation
- Targeted exercises to build strength and coordination in the forearm, shoulder, and core
- Grip strengthening using light resistance, a stress ball, or banded work
- Functional drills to retrain wrist extension or wrist flexion patterns
- Education to correct movement habits and reduce repetitive strain
Treatment looks different for tennis elbow vs golf elbow. In most tennis elbow cases, we target the extensor carpi radialis brevis, the main tendon involved. If it’s golfer’s elbow, we retrain the wrist and finger flexors to reduce load on the medial epicondyle.
When You Should Reach Out
If you’re feeling mild pain that keeps returning, or if you’re working around your elbow just to play, don’t wait for it to get worse. In severe cases, we may see more tissue damage and longer recovery times.
We help you move better now so you can avoid corticosteroid injections, surgeries, or giving up the sports you love. Whether it’s tennis elbow or golfer’s elbow, let’s solve the real problem together.
Auto-Ness Physical Therapy: Bringing Relief for Tennis and Golfer’s Elbow Pain
Whether you’re serving at Barnes Tennis Center, golfing through Scripps Ranch, or simply trying to grip a coffee mug without pain, elbow injuries can slow you down. At Auto-Ness Physical Therapy, we help you overcome elbow tendonitis and get back to what you love—without medications or surgery.
Our Approach to Lasting Elbow Pain Relief
We don’t believe in one-size-fits-all plans. Your tennis elbow or golfer’s elbow treatment starts with a comprehensive biomechanical assessment so we can identify exactly what’s causing your pain.
From there, we build a plan that includes:
- One-on-one sessions with a Doctor of Physical Therapy—no aides, no techs
- Manual therapy and soft tissue work to restore mobility in the elbow and forearm
- Personalized corrective exercises focused on your movement habits, sport, and goals
- Cupping therapy or dry needling, if needed, to reduce tension in deep tissue
- Techniques that address the root cause—not just the symptoms
We also help you adjust your training or everyday activities to prevent flare-ups.
Why Athletes in San Diego Trust Us
We know how frustrating it is when elbow pain gets in the way of your progress. That’s why we take time to understand what movement patterns are adding stress to your elbow joint and help you fix them.
You’re not just another body on the schedule. You’re an active adult committed to performance—and we’re committed to helping you stay that way.
Step Into a Stronger You Today
If you’re dealing with tennis elbow, golf elbow, or any overuse injury in the elbow, don’t wait for it to become chronic. Let’s figure out what’s going on, treat it effectively, and help you move forward with confidence.
Call Auto-Ness Physical Therapy at 858-324-5537 or find out more online. We’ll get you back to the course, court, or trail—pain-free and performing better than ever.
