Golfer’s elbow (medial epicondylalgia) causes inner-elbow pain, weakness in grip, and frustration with everyday tasks. The good news? With smart load management, targeted exercises and hands-on physio, most people bounce back. In this post, I’ll walk you through a proven recovery plan — plus a real clinic success story.

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Don’t let Golfer’s elbow pain sideline you

You don’t have to live with that nagging inner elbow pain. Whether you golf, do DIY, type all day or use tools, this blog gives you a step-by-step plan (not vague generic advice) to recover stronger, smarter and avoid repeat injury. Ready to reclaim your swing (or your daily life)? Let’s go.

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What is Golfer’s Elbow (Medial Epicondylalgia)?

• Anatomy & definition
  Golfer’s elbow affects the common flexor tendon on the medial epicondyle — the inside of the elbow — where muscles that flex the wrist and pronate the forearm attach. If you are feeling pain on the other side of the elbow, CLICK HERE to read about tennis elbow.
• Pathophysiology: It’s not just inflammation
  In modern terms, golfer’s elbow is a tendinopathy (or tendinosis) — chronic overload leads to microtears, disordered collagen, and degeneration, rather than classic acute inflammation.
• What causes it?
  Repetitive use of wrist flexors and pronators, forceful gripping, sudden spikes in loading, poor technique, weak shoulder/forearm stability, and contributory factors like poor posture all contribute.
• Symptoms & common presentation
  • Pain / tenderness on the inside of the elbow (medial epicondyle)
  • Pain with gripping, lifting, twisting (opening jars, shaking hands)
  • Weakness in grip, forearm fatigue
  • Occasionally stiffness or mild numbness in ring/little fingers (if ulnar nerve irritation)
  • Symptoms often worsen when aggravating tasks are repeated over time
• How common is it?
  Golfer’s elbow is less common than tennis elbow — estimates suggest it affects perhaps 0.4 % to 1–3 % of people in various studies.

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Why Physiotherapy Is Your Best Bet

• Evidence supports active over passive
  Studies and clinical consensus increasingly favour active rehab (exercise + manual therapy) over passive treatments or injections for tendinopathies, because they build resilience and reduce recurrence.
• What physio can do that others can’t
  • Accurately assess contributing factors (neck, shoulder, scapula, posture)
  • Prescribe progressive, safe loading of the tendon
  • Apply manual therapy, soft tissue techniques, joint mobilisations
  • Teach movement correction, ergonomics, and technique tweaks
  • Monitor progress, adjust the plan, prevent relapse
• Longer-term outcomes
  While injections or rest may temporarily ease pain, the tendon’s load tolerance doesn’t improve unless rehabilitated. Physiotherapy helps make the tendon stronger and more adaptable rather than temporarily quiet.

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Our Clinic Approach: How We Treat Golfer’s Elbow in Frenchs Forest

Below is a roadmap of how we tend to work with clients who present with golfer’s elbow. It’s tailored to each individual, but this gives you insight into what your recovery might look like.

1. Thorough Assessment

• History: onset, aggravating tasks, duration, prior episodes
• Palpation: medial epicondyle, flexor tendons
• Strength tests: resisted wrist flexion, pronation, grip strength
• Assess range of motion, nerve tension (ulnar nerve), elbow joint mobility
• Check shoulder, scapular control, neck posture, upper limb chain
• Movement observation: how you perform your tasks (lifting, gripping, tools)

2. Pain modulation & protection

• Activity modification: reduce or alter aggravating tasks temporarily
• Use a counterforce strap or support for tasks requiring grip
• Ice or cold therapy early if painful
• Gentle manual therapy / soft tissue techniques around forearm, elbow
• Mobilisations or joint work if stiffness present
• Possibly dry needling or trigger point work to reduce muscle tension

3. Introduce Isometric & Low Load Work

• Once acute pain is under better control, start isometric holds for wrist flexors (pain-free or tolerable)
• Progress to low-load concentric / eccentric tendon loading
• Emphasise slow controlled movement, avoiding jerk or ballistic loading

4. Progressive Loading & Task Integration

• Increase resistance progressively (bands, light dumbbells)
• Increase speed, range, repetitions
• Introduce forearm rotational work (supination / pronation)
• Begin simulated/modified real-life tasks (lifting cups, tools, using a golf club)
• Strengthen shoulder, scapula, core, and kinetic chain to offload the elbow

5. Prevention & Long-Term Resilience

• Technique coaching (golf swing, tool handling, work ergonomics)
• Periodic “tendon checks” or maintenance sessions
• Education about pacing, load cycles, warning signs
• Flexibility, mobility and regular strengthening routines

6. Reassessment & Referral (if needed)

• Monitor progress regularly
• If symptoms don’t improve in expected timeframe (6–12 weeks), reconsider diagnosis or imaging
• Refer on to orthopaedics or imaging if there are red flags (nerve involvement, structural damage)

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Patient Story: “Sarah from Forestville”

To bring this to life, here’s a real example of Golfer’s Elbow from our clinic:

Sarah, a 52-year old librarian from Forestville (just a short drive to our Frenchs Forest clinic), came in complaining of about 10 weeks of inner elbow pain on her dominant arm. She said that even holding a paperback book hurt after 2 minutes, and opening jars or carrying groceries made the pain spike to 5/10.

On assessment, we found tenderness at her medial epicondyle, weakness on resisted wrist flexion/forearm pronation, and also noted some neck/shoulder stiffness likely contributing to her altered forearm loading.

We designed her program:

• Phase 1 (weeks 1–2): reduce aggravating tasks, use strap when needed, gentle soft tissue + joint work
• Phase 2 (weeks 2–5): isometric flexor holds, light concentric/eccentric flexion with bands
• Phase 3 (weeks 5–10): heavier loading, forearm rotation work, reintroducing real tasks (books, tools)
• Concurrently: shoulder/scapula strengthening, posture correction, ergonomic tips

By week 7, she was down to pain 1–2/10, had recovered 70 % of her grip strength, and could lift her grandkids’ toys without flare. By week 12, she was fully functional, pain-free, back to her reading load and kitchen tasks, with no relapse after six months.

She often drops by to say hi and show off her new gardening projects — her elbow’s totally stable.

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Why Some People Don’t Improve (and How You Can Avoid It)

• Doing too little — underloading means minimal adaptation
• Doing too much, too soon — tendon flares if pushed past capacity
• Ignoring upstream contributors (neck, shoulder, posture)
• Using poor technique or tools that continually overload
• Stopping rehab once pain reduces (not building durability)
• Waiting too long to begin rehab — chronic tendinopathies demand more time

We aim to prevent these pitfalls by carefully titrating your load, monitoring flare signs, and tailoring each step.

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Example Exercises You Might Do

Note: These are examples. You must get a tailored plan from your physiotherapist. If pain increases sharply (> 3/10), scale back.

Phase	Exercise	Description / Tips
Isometric	Wrist flexor isometric hold	Arm supported, wrist in neutral, resist flexion downwards (e.g. pressing palm upward against a fixed object) for 45 s × 5x per day
Low load concentric / eccentric	Wrist flexion with resistance band	Palm facing up, flex slowly up, resist return slowly, 3–4 s each way
Forearm rotation	Pronation / supination with light dumbbell	Elbow held still, rotate palm up/down slowly
Grip strengthening	Soft squeeze ball or putty	Gentle sustained squeeze, avoid sharp rebounds
Functional loading	Lifting small weights, carrying groceries, opening jars	Gradually increase weight or volume, mimic your daily tasks

As your elbow tolerates load, you can increase reps, speed, and weight — always staying within safe thresholds.

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Extra Tips & Hacks

• Use a counterforce strap during heavier grip tasks
• Alternate tasks often — avoid repetitive grips for long periods
• Warm up the forearm before loading (gentle movement, blood flow)
• Apply ice post heavy use if aching
• Maintain consistency — keeping up home exercises is key
• Evaluate ergonomics — tools, grip sizes, workstation setup
• Gradually increase workload — avoid abrupt jumps

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When You Should See a Specialist

Most golfer’s elbow cases respond well to physio, but you should consider further investigation if:

• Symptoms persist beyond 3–6 months with minimal improvement
• There’s significant nerve symptoms (numbness, tingling)
• You suspect structural tear, calcification, or other elbow pathology
• You’ve tried rehab but haven’t progressed (we’ll re-assess)

We always re-evaluate and refer when needed — but many people recover just fine with consistent physiotherapy.

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Timeline Expectations & What Is “Normal”

• Many clients notice a drop in pain within 2–4 weeks (especially with isometric work)
• Meaningful functional gains often appear between weeks 6–12
• Full recovery (with loading tolerance) can take 3–6 months in chronic cases
• Even after symptoms ease, maintenance work keeps the tendon strong and resilient

This aligns with standard rehab protocols for epicondylitis (6–12 weeks of loading). OrthoInfo+2Massachusetts General Hospital+2

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Key Takeaways & Your Plan

• Golfer’s elbow isn’t permanent — with the right approach, you can recover and come back stronger
• Physiotherapy offers more than symptom relief — it builds load capacity and prevents relapse
• Follow a progressive, monitored rehab plan — don’t guess your own loading
• Correct upstream issues (shoulder, posture) and technique
• Stay consistent, patient and proactive
• The sooner you start, the smoother the recovery

👉 Ready to get started? Give us a call today on 9806 3077, or book online (just CLICK HERE).

References & Further Reading

• Physiopedia: Medial Epicondyle Tendinopathy (Golfer’s Elbow) Physiopedia
• Noshin Physiotherapy: Medial Epicondylalgia as First-Line Treatment noshinphysio.com+1
• The Physios: Load Management in Golfer’s Elbow The Physios
• Pure Physiotherapy: Common Flexor Tendinopathy Overview Pure Physiotherapy
• OrthoInfo: Rehabilitation Protocol for Epicondylitis (Tennis / Golfer’s) OrthoInfo
• Cleveland Clinic: Golfer’s Elbow Exercises & Advice Cleveland Clinic
• NOShin / Physiotherapy articles & research literature noshinphysio.com+2Physiotherapy Journal+2

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That’s your comprehensive guide to understanding, treating, and beating golfer’s elbow. If this sounds like your situation — or you’re unsure — give us a call today on 9806 3077, or book online (just CLICK HERE).