Golfer's Elbow (Root Cause & Fastest Way To Fix)

You've come to the right place if you have elbow injuries and pain from exercising, such as golfer's elbow (pain on the inside part of the elbow). For years I struggled with inner elbow pain during bench presses, chest flys, chin-ups, bicep curls, and tricep extensions. I fixed my golfer's elbow. I will show you exactly how to do the same. Let's begin!

The muscle conditions that lead to elbow pain are gradual and cumulative. Through repetitive use and over time, the forearm and triceps muscles become restricted (shortened, inelastic). This process of muscle restriction can take months or years to develop.

When the forearm or triceps muscles become chronically restricted (lasting over three months), a routine activity at home (carrying a bag of groceries, holding or gripping something tightly), or at the gym (doing a routine workout) can suddenly trigger pain on the inside part of the elbow. This condition is known as golfer's elbow. Unfortunately, most people do not realize their forearm or triceps are restricted until a routine activity unexpectedly triggers elbow pain.

Golfer's elbow (also known as inner elbow pain or medial epicondylitis) is a type of elbow tendonitis where pain occurs on the inside part of the elbow. It may develop over time (chronic), or occur suddenly from overloading the medial elbow tendon (acute). In the case of lifting weights, overloading the elbow includes:

• Lifting a weight too heavy
• An increase in training volume (e.g. performing excessively more sets during a workout)
• Using bad weightlifting form during exercise (e.g. bench press)

Yes, you can get golfer's elbow from lifting weights. However, it's important to note that lifting weights is not the root cause of golfer's elbow. Lifting weights simply triggers (acute) golfer's elbow or aggravates (chronic) golfer's elbow. Check out the following article to learn more about the root causes of elbow pain from lifting weights.

For a detailed article on the root causes of elbow pain from lifting weights, including the types of elbow tendonitis (tennis elbow, triceps tendonitis), elbow bursitis, chronic vs. acute elbow pain, and the fastest way to cure elbow pain, check out this comprehensive guide.

What causes golfer's elbow when lifting weights?  - The tendon on the inside part of the elbow (medial tendon) can become overstressed and inflamed from weight lifting. The inflamed tendon causes inflammatory pain on the inside of the elbow (golfer's elbow) during weight lifting.

Why does golfer's elbow happen? - The forearm muscles contract when you perform exercises involving the arm. Over time as you continue to lift, the forearm flexor muscles and triceps muscles become tighter and shorter. Shortened forearm muscles pull and put tension on the medial elbow tendon, decreasing the elasticity of the tendon. A combination of shortened forearm flexor muscles and an inelastic medial elbow tendon overloads the elbow joint and causes inner elbow pain during weight lifting.

Important: Apart from musculoskeletal injuries (muscle and tendon-related pain), other medical conditions can contribute to inner elbow pain during weight lifting. These include nerve entrapment and compression, bone fractures and dislocations, and arthritis, which causes joint inflammation, pain, and stiffness. If your condition is medically related, it's important to consult a healthcare provider to ensure there are no structural issues with your elbow.

Nurudeen performing a barbell bench press during a chest workout at the gym (2020). The bench press is a highly effective exercise to build upper body strength and the chest. The bench press primarily targets the pectoral, shoulder, and triceps muscles. "Push" exercises such as bench press can trigger or worsen golfer's elbow, tennis elbow (pain at the outer elbow), and triceps tendonitis (pain at the posterior elbow).

Symptoms of golfer's elbow from lifting include the following:

1. A burning feeling of pain at the inner part of the elbow after lifting (e.g. chin-ups, push-ups, chest flys, bench presses)
2. Tenderness, swelling, and soreness at the inside part of the elbow after lifting
3. Dull pain and ache in the elbow when lifting weights
4. Sharp, sudden, and severe pain at the inside part of the elbow while lifting
5. Pain and difficulty bending and straightening arm after working out
6. Weak grip strength when lifting dumbbells or barbells

Athletes and weightlifters with golfer's elbow experience elbow pain during exercises that stress the medial elbow tendon. Common exercises include:

• Barbell Bench Press (flat, incline, decline)
• Barbell Close-Grip Bench Press
  
• Chin-Ups
• Chest Flys (machine and dumbbell)
• Bicep Curls
• Push Press, Military Press
  
• Triceps Pushdowns, Triceps Extensions, Bar Dips
  
• Close Grip Lat Pulldown
  
• Cable Rows

Avoid "pull" exercises. "Pull" exercises can overload the forearm flexor muscles, inflame the medial elbow tendon (inner elbow tendon), and aggravate golfer's elbow (inner elbow pain). Common weight training "pull" exercises include the following:

• Chin-Ups
  
• Chest Flys (machine, dumbbell, cable)
• Bicep Curls
• Triceps Pushdowns
• Triceps Extensions
• Bar Dips/Chair Dips
  
• Close Grip Lat Pulldown
  
• Cable Rows

Nurudeen performing close grip chin-ups during a back workout at the gym (2022). Close grip chin-ups are a variation of the chin-up exercise. Close grip chin-ups primarily target the lower lats muscle and secondarily the deltoids and biceps. Close grip chin-ups can trigger or aggravate golfer's elbow (pain on the inside of the elbow).

It depends on the severity of the golfer's elbow. If the golfer's elbow causes "low to mild" pain, most people can use elbow sleeves, elbow brace, elbow wraps, elbow straps, or other short-term pain relief remedies to reduce inner elbow pain when lifting. If the golfer's elbow is chronic and severe or causes sharp pain in the elbow when lifting weights, it's best to treat the root cause of the pain before resuming exercise.

Yes, golfer's elbow can go away if treated early, and if the ROOT cause of the tendonitis is treated. Short-term remedies can help if the golfer's elbow is acute (the condition is less than three months old). If the golfer's elbow is chronic (the condition is more than three months old), it usually requires fixing the root cause to rid of the pain.

Short-term pain relief remedies like elbow sleeves, elbow brace, elbow wraps, and elbow straps can provide temporary but instant relief for golfer's elbow pain. Elbow sleeves compress the elbow joint to promote increased blood flow to the elbow, while also keeping the elbow joint and elbow tendon warm. This temporarily reduces golfer's elbow pain when lifting weights. Unfortunately, the pain usually returns and often gets worse when you resume lifting without elbow sleeves.

Alternative solutions, like the TitaniumPhysique Program, can help you permanently cure golfer's elbow (in 5-10 days), as well as prevent it from coming back.

Nurudeen performing a seated barbell shoulder press during a shoulder workout at the gym (2019). The seated shoulder press is a variation of the shoulder press exercise. The shoulder press is an effective exercise to build upper body and shoulder strength. This exercise primarily targets the deltoids, upper pectoral, and triceps. "Push" exercises such as seated shoulder press can trigger or aggravate golfer's elbow (pain on the inside part of the elbow) and triceps tendonitis (pain at the back of the elbow).

Golfer's elbow left untreated becomes degenerative and can lead to irreversible deterioration of the medial elbow tendon and elbow joint. When left untreated, the forearm muscles become restricted and inelastic, leading to forearm muscle pain and wrist pain. The medial elbow tendon loses strength and deteriorates, which often leads to tendon tear or rupture - known as elbow tendinosis.

Yes, it is possible for golfer's elbow to cause permanent elbow pain - known as elbow tendinosis. Tendinosis is the deterioration of tendon collagen due to chronic repetitive stress injury - often a result of lifting weights. Tendinosis results in the loss of strength in the tendon and often leads to tendon tear or rupture. It's necessary to treat the root cause of the pain to prevent permanent elbow pain.

Elbow sleeves (including elbow straps, elbow braces, and elbow wraps) are a popular option to manage elbow tendonitis (such as inner elbow pain) when lifting weights. Elbow sleeves compress the elbow tendon and elbow joint. As a result, it temporarily reduces elbow discomfort when lifting, e.g. during bench press. Unfortunately, elbow sleeves do not cure the root cause of golfer's elbow. When left untreated, elbow tendonitis can lead to elbow tendinosis and cause irreversible elbow tendon degeneration.

Nurudeen performing skull crushers during a shoulder and arms workout at the gym (2021). Skull crushers are a variation of the Overhead Triceps Extension. Skull crushers are an effective exercise to build upper body and arm strength. This exercise primarily targets the triceps muscle. "Pull" exercises such as skull crushers can trigger or aggravate golfer's elbow (inner elbow pain) and triceps tendonitis (posterior elbow pain).

To stop inner elbow pain when lifting, you have two approaches: short-term pain relief remedies for temporary relief and addressing the root cause of the pain to prevent its recurrence.

Short-term pain relief remedies include joint supplements and vitamins, anti-inflammatory painkillers (NSAIDs), physical therapy, stretching, ice and rest therapy, elbow braces, elbow straps, kinesiology tape, and topical anti-inflammatory solutions (oils and creams).

To permanently cure elbow pain and prevent it from affecting your workouts, it's essential to address the root causes, which include chronic inflammation, magnesium deficiency, and muscle restriction. The TitaniumPhysique Program can help you achieve this goal.

The exercises below can help you relieve acute or chronic elbow pain, including tennis elbow (outer pain), golfer's elbow (inner pain), or triceps tendonitis (posterior pain). You will need a peanut ball and a lacrosse ball, found on Amazon or your local sporting goods store.

If your elbow pain is acute (causing burning pain after working out), you can place an ice pack on the elbow when you are not using the massage ball. Suppose your elbow pain is chronic (causing dull or achy pain during/after working out). In that case, you can supplement it with magnesium to heal and decalcify the elbow tendons.

Important: Restricted triceps and forearm muscles that cause elbow pain develop over many years, so using the correct treatment techniques for lasting results is necessary.

For a step-by-step, easy-to-follow video-based guide to cure and prevent elbow pain, try the TitaniumPhysique Program today. Take advantage of our special promotion and get it at 50% off for a limited time.

Here is how to quickly relieve elbow pain:

To fix tennis elbow, use a peanut ball to massage the forearm extensor muscles (click the link to see photo). Lean against a wall and place the peanut ball on the forearm extensor muscles. Roll out (massage) the muscles with the peanut ball for 3-5 minutes. Stretch the forearm extensor muscles. Perform this routine once a day. Rest the muscle the following day, then repeat the routine. For faster results, perform the exercise twice a day, once in the morning and once at night.

Nurudeen demonstrating how to fix tennis elbow using a peanut ball to massage the forearm extensor muscles

To fix golfer's elbow, use a peanut or lacrosse ball to massage the forearm flexor muscles (click the link to see photo). Sit on a chair next to a table. Place the ball on the table and position your forearm flexor muscles on top of it. Roll out (massage) the muscle with the ball for 3-5 minutes. Stretch the forearm flexor muscles. Perform this routine once a day. Rest the muscle the following day, then repeat the routine. For faster results, perform the exercise twice a day, once in the morning and once at night.

Nurudeen demonstrating how to fix golfer's elbow using a lacrosse ball to massage the forearm flexor muscles.

To fix triceps tendonitis, use a peanut ball to massage the triceps muscle and tendon (click the link to see photo). Sit on a chair next to a table. Place the ball on the table and position your triceps muscle on top of it. Roll out (massage) the triceps muscle and tendon with the ball for 3-5 minutes. Start near your armpit and work down to the triceps tendon, just above the elbow joint. Stretch the triceps muscle. Perform this routine once a day. Rest the muscle the following day, then repeat the routine. For faster results, perform the exercise twice a day, once in the morning and once at night.

Nurudeen demonstrating how to fix triceps tendonitis using a peanut ball to massage the triceps muscles.

Part of avoiding chronic elbow pain is preventing acute elbow pain. If you begin to feel inner elbow pain when lifting, reduce the weight. If the pain persists, stop the exercise and train another body part that does not involve your elbow. Pushing through a workout with elbow pain will intensify the degree of post-workout acute inflammation, worsen the pain symptoms, and prolong the recovery of the elbow.

To prevent and counteract golfer's elbow from lifting weights, follow these steps:

1. Stretch the forearm muscle before lifting.
2. Start your workout by warming up the elbow tendon and triceps tendon (e.g. resistance band pull-apart).
3. When lifting, incrementally add weights to avoid sudden overload of the triceps tendon and elbow tendons.
   
4. Learn and always good weight lifting techniques. Learn proper technique here: Exercise Database & Library by the American Council on Exercise.
5. Incrementally increase training volume (i.e., be mindful about doing an excessive amount of sets).
6. Supplement with magnesium to heal and decalcify the elbow tendons. Magnesium also relaxes muscles to reduce pain.
   

7. Incorporate self-myofascial release (SMR) exercises into your recovery routine. Perform SMR on the forearm extensors, forearm flexors, and triceps muscle/tendon at least twice a week to keep the forearms and triceps pliable.

Important - keep in mind that restricted triceps and forearm muscles that cause elbow pain develop over many years. It is necessary to use the correct treatment techniques to get lasting results.

If you want a step-by-step, easy-to-follow video-based guide to permanently cure and prevent elbow pain, try the TitaniumPhysique Program today. Take advantage of our special promotion and get it at 50% off for a limited time.

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Written by: Nurudeen Tijani

Nurudeen (aka T.J.) is passionate about helping people build the body they desire through weight training. He is a physique and fitness trainer, nutritionist, yoga instructor, vegan natural bodybuilder, National Physique Committee (NPC) competitor, and founder at TitaniumPhysique. Nurudeen is a member of the International Association Study of Pain (IASP) and the American Chronic Pain Association (ACPA).

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