Targeted soft tissue and shockwave care to relieve inner elbow tendon pain and restore your grip.
Golfer's elbow, clinically called medial epicondylitis, is an overuse injury that causes pain on the inner side of the elbow where the forearm flexor tendons attach, typically from repetitive gripping, lifting, or wrist motion.
Most patients we treat for it have never picked up a club. The condition typically flares when work, sport, or daily activity piles repetitive gripping and wrist motion onto already fatigued tendons. The result is pain and tenderness on the inner elbow that can travel down the inner forearm and weaken your grip.
At Advanced Wellness Chiropractic in Bridgeton, MO, we see golfer's elbow in golfers and throwers, but just as often in weightlifters, manual tradespeople, and assembly and warehouse workers whose jobs demand constant gripping. It is the inner-elbow sibling of tennis elbow, which affects the outer side of the joint. Both are forms of tendinopathy, and both respond well to conservative care.
What makes tendon problems stubborn is that the tissue does not simply become inflamed and settle down. Instead it develops small areas of breakdown and disorganized repair, which is why rest alone often fails and why targeted soft tissue and loading therapy works so well. Because the flexor tendons and the median nerve share the same crowded inner-elbow real estate, golfer's elbow can occasionally overlap with carpal tunnel-type symptoms, which is why a careful exam matters.
Most inner-elbow pain is a straightforward tendon problem that responds well to conservative care, but certain warning signs mean you should be evaluated by an urgent care or physician promptly rather than assuming it is golfer's elbow:
Golfer's elbow symptoms usually come on gradually and worsen with continued gripping and lifting. The following are the most frequently reported symptoms among our patients.
These are simple versions of the provocation tests Dr. JC uses in the office to confirm that your pain is coming from the medial epicondyle and the flexor tendons. They do not replace a proper exam, but if one reproduces your familiar inner-elbow pain, golfer's elbow is likely. Stop any test that causes sharp pain, numbness, or weakness, and skip them entirely if you have any of the red-flag symptoms above.
How to do it
Rest the sore forearm on a table, palm facing up, with your hand and wrist off the edge. Use your other hand to press down on your palm while you try to curl your wrist upward against that resistance.
What to watch for
Pain localized to the bony bump on the inner side of the elbow as you resist. General forearm fatigue is not a positive test; the pain needs to point to the medial epicondyle.
What a positive test suggests
Irritation of the flexor tendon origin at the medial epicondyle, the hallmark of golfer's elbow. This is the single most useful at-home screen for the condition.
How to do it
With the affected arm, squeeze a soft ball or roll up a towel and grip it firmly. Then press a fingertip directly on the bony bump on the inner side of your elbow and just below it.
What to watch for
Reproduction of your inner-elbow pain with a firm grip, and a distinct tender spot when you press on the medial epicondyle, often noticeably worse than the same spot on your other arm.
What a positive test suggests
A loaded, irritated flexor tendon at its attachment. Pinpoint tenderness combined with grip-provoked pain strongly supports medial epicondylitis over a joint or nerve problem.
If either test reproduces your symptoms, the next step is a full evaluation. Dr. JC will examine the elbow, wrist, and shoulder, check the nerves, and build a treatment plan around exactly what is driving the pain.
Effective golfer's elbow care has to do two things at once: calm down the irritated tendon and rebuild its capacity to handle load. The standout tools for this are the exact soft tissue therapies we keep under one roof. The Graston Technique uses specialized instruments to break down the adhesions and disorganized scar tissue in the flexor tendon, restarting a more organized healing response.
Shockwave therapy delivers acoustic pulses into the tendon to stimulate blood flow and the body's natural repair process, and it is one of the better-supported options for stubborn tendinopathy that has not settled with rest. We pair these with Pin & Stretch to restore normal length and glide in the forearm flexors, taking tension off the tendon attachment.
Alongside the soft tissue work, adjustmentsto the elbow, wrist, and even the neck and shoulder help the whole arm move efficiently so the tendon is not overloaded by stiffness elsewhere in the chain. Finally, a progressive eccentric strengthening program rebuilds the tendon's tolerance. Research consistently supports this kind of conservative, loading-based care as a first-line approach for elbow tendinopathy, helping most patients avoid injections or surgery.
Tendinopathies of the elbow are now understood as degenerative overload problems rather than purely inflammatory ones, which is why approaches that stimulate tendon remodeling, such as progressive eccentric loading, instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization, and shockwave therapy, have become central to conservative management in the research literature.
Extracorporeal shockwave therapy in particular has a growing evidence base for chronic tendinopathy, with multiple randomized trials and systematic reviews reporting reductions in pain and improvements in function when conservative loading programs alone have stalled. The broad consensus across orthopedic and rehabilitation guidelines is that the large majority of medial and lateral epicondylitis cases improve with conservative care, and that surgery should be reserved for the small number that fail many months of dedicated non-surgical treatment.
Advanced Wellness Chiropractic in Bridgeton, MO incorporates evidence-based protocols informed by current research to deliver the most effective treatment for each patient.
We tailor every golfer's elbow treatment plan to the individual based on a thorough examination. Your care plan may include:
Instrument-assisted soft tissue work that breaks down adhesions in the flexor tendon and restarts an organized healing response.
Acoustic pulses that boost blood flow and stimulate tendon repair, especially valuable for stubborn, long-standing cases.
Targeted release of the forearm flexor muscles to restore normal length and take strain off the inner-elbow tendon attachment.
Elbow, wrist, and upper-spine adjustments paired with a progressive strengthening program that rebuilds the tendon's capacity.
These are the exercises Dr. JC most often sends home with golfer's elbow patients. They are designed to gently load and lengthen the flexor tendon so it heals stronger, not just calmer. A little discomfort during the loading exercises is acceptable, but stop anything that produces sharp pain or symptoms that linger into the next day, and skip them while a flare is severe.
The cornerstone exercise for golfer's elbow. Slow, controlled lowering reloads the flexor tendon and drives healthy remodeling.
Dosage: 10 to 15 slow reps, 3 sets, once daily. Start light.
Lengthens the tight flexor muscles that pull on the inner elbow, easing the morning stiffness common with golfer's elbow.
Dosage: Hold 20 to 30 seconds, 3 reps, twice daily.
Rebuilds the grip strength that golfer's elbow steals, in a controlled way that does not overload the healing tendon.
Dosage: Hold 5 seconds, 10 reps, 2 sets, once daily.
Restores the rotational control needed for golf, throwing, and tool work, loading the forearm in a different and useful direction.
Dosage: 10 reps each direction, 2 sets, once daily.
Loading exercises are the engine of tendon recovery, but they work best when the tendon has been freed up first. Most golfer's elbow patients also have dense adhesions in the flexor mass and stiffness in the wrist or shoulder that home exercise alone will not resolve. If your symptoms are not clearly improving after three to four weeks of consistent home work, or the pain is creeping further down the forearm, come in so we can find and treat the driver with hands-on care.
Golfer's elbow is a gripping-and-loading injury, so the patients we treat for it tend to cluster around a handful of jobs and activities. If you recognize yourself in one of these, you are not alone, and conservative chiropractic care is usually all it takes to get your grip and your elbow back.
The namesake group. Repeated swings, a tight grip, and off-center contact load the flexor tendons on the inner elbow. Tennis and pickleball players from across North County see it too.
Pitchers and throwers put enormous repetitive strain on the medial elbow. Youth and high school throwers in the area are a common visit, and early care matters for a growing arm.
Heavy deadlifts, rows, pull-ups, and barbell work demand a brutal grip. The combination of grip plus volume is a classic setup for flexor tendinopathy.
Trades that hammer, twist, torque, and grip tools all day. The repeated forceful grip is exactly the load that overloads the inner-elbow tendon.
North County's plants and assembly lines run on repetitive hand and wrist motion. Hours of gripping, fastening, and repetitive tool use add up to medial elbow pain.
The Amazon, Walmart, and Schnucks hubs around the area involve constant gripping, lifting, and scanning. That repeated grab-and-lift pattern aggravates the flexor tendon.
Wrenching, torquing, and gripping tools in awkward positions all day. The forceful, sustained grip is hard on the inner elbow over time.
Repetitive brushing, rolling, raking, and trimming keep the forearm flexors working nonstop, a common driver of seasonal golfer's elbow flares.
Long days of gripping a mouse and typing can quietly overload the forearm flexors, especially with a poor wrist position at desk workstations around the area.
If your golfer's elbow is work-related, Dr. JC can help document the injury and coordinate with your employer or workers' compensation carrier. We see patients from Bridgeton, Maryland Heights, Hazelwood, Florissant, St. Ann, Creve Coeur, and across North County St. Louis.
Golfer's elbow, clinically called medial epicondylitis, is an overuse injury of the tendons that attach the forearm flexor and wrist muscles to the bony bump on the inner side of the elbow, known as the medial epicondyle. Despite the name, most people who develop it have never played golf. It is caused by repetitive gripping, lifting, and wrist flexion, and it produces pain and tenderness on the inner elbow that can radiate down the inner forearm.
They are mirror-image conditions. Golfer's elbow (medial epicondylitis) affects the tendons on the inner side of the elbow that flex the wrist and grip, while tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis) affects the tendons on the outer side that extend the wrist. The location of the pain is the simplest way to tell them apart: inner elbow points to golfer's elbow, outer elbow points to tennis elbow. The two share similar causes and respond to the same conservative treatments. You can learn more about its counterpart on our tennis elbow page.
Golfer's elbow develops when the flexor tendons of the forearm are overloaded by repetitive or forceful gripping, lifting, and wrist motion. Common triggers include golf and racquet sports, throwing sports like baseball, weightlifting with heavy grip demands, and manual trades such as carpentry, plumbing, and assembly-line work. Over time the tendon develops small areas of breakdown and disorganized healing, a process called tendinopathy, which is why rest alone often is not enough to resolve it.
Chiropractic care for golfer's elbow focuses on restoring healthy tendon function and reducing the load on the inner elbow. Dr. JC combines instrument-assisted soft tissue work like the Graston Technique to break down adhesions, shockwave therapy to stimulate tendon healing, and Pin & Stretch to restore normal muscle length in the forearm. Joint restrictions in the elbow, wrist, and even the neck and shoulder are addressed with adjustments so the whole arm moves efficiently. This combination targets the root tendon problem rather than just masking the pain.
Tendinopathy is slower to heal than a simple muscle strain because tendons have a limited blood supply. Many patients notice meaningful improvement within three to six weeks of consistent care, though a fuller recovery often takes eight to twelve weeks depending on how long the problem has been present and how much the arm is loaded day to day. Chronic, long-standing cases can take longer. Following your home loading program and modifying aggravating activities are the biggest factors in how quickly you recover.
Surgery is rarely necessary for golfer's elbow. The large majority of cases respond well to conservative care such as soft tissue therapy, shockwave therapy, eccentric strengthening, and activity modification, and surgery is generally reserved for the small number of severe cases that fail many months of dedicated non-surgical treatment. Many insurance plans cover chiropractic care for elbow tendinopathy, and our Bridgeton, MO office will verify your benefits and explain your options before treatment begins.
In most cases you do not need complete rest, which can actually slow tendon recovery. The goal is to reduce the load enough to let the tendon heal while keeping it gently active. Dr. JC will help you modify your grip, technique, and workload, and may suggest a counterforce brace, ergonomic changes, or temporary adjustments to your training or trade. Continuing to push through significant pain, however, tends to prolong the problem.
Advanced Wellness Chiropractic treats golfer's elbow at our office in Bridgeton, MO, conveniently located for patients across Northwest St. Louis County, including Maryland Heights, Hazelwood, Florissant, St. Ann, and Creve Coeur. We see golfers, throwers, weightlifters, and tradespeople from manufacturing and warehouse jobs throughout North County. Dr. JC offers the exact soft tissue and shockwave tools that elbow tendinopathy responds to under one roof.
“Best chiropractor in the greater St. Louis area”
Dr. Bordeaux is hands down the best chiropractor in the greater St. Louis area. He takes the time to understand and treat your specific issue. You'll leave feeling like a million bucks.
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JC is totally amazing and will make you feel so comfortable and relaxed. I left feeling a million times better after one visit!
These conditions often share the same root causes and respond to the same chiropractic care. Explore how we treat each one.
Instrument-assisted soft tissue therapy that breaks down adhesions in the inner-elbow flexor tendon.
Learn MoreAcoustic-wave treatment that stimulates healing in stubborn elbow tendinopathy.
Learn MoreThe outer-elbow counterpart of golfer's elbow, treated with the same conservative tools.
Learn MoreHow instrument-assisted soft tissue work speeds up recovery from tendon injuries.
Learn MoreAdvanced Wellness Chiropractic
Pain rarely fixes itself. The longer a problem goes untreated, the longer it usually takes to heal. The sooner we find the cause, the sooner you feel like yourself again.
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