Guide
Golfer's Elbow: Causes, Symptoms and How It Differs from Tennis Elbow
With golfer's elbow, the tendon attachment on the inner side of the elbow is overloaded. It hurts especially when gripping forcefully, carrying and bending the wrist – and is by no means caused only by playing golf.
5 min readUpdated on November 10, 2026
Contents
Key points at a glance
- It affects the inner tendon attachment at the elbow; the medical term is medial epicondylitis.
- It is usually triggered by forceful, repeated gripping at work, in the home or during sport.
- Golfer's elbow is much less common than tennis elbow but is sometimes considered more persistent.
- Tingling in the ring and little fingers should be checked by a doctor.
- It is usually treated conservatively: reducing strain, physiotherapy, medical aids.
What is golfer's elbow?
Golfer's elbow – also referred to as medial elbow pain – is a painful overload of the tendon attachments on the inner side of the elbow. The muscles that bend the wrist and fingers and turn the forearm inwards attach at the inner bony prominence (medial epicondyle). The medical term is epicondylitis medialis, or medial epicondylitis.
Golf is just one of many possible triggers. The symptoms are just as often caused by forceful, repeated gripping at work, in the home, in the garden or during training.
Golfer's elbow or tennis elbow: what is the difference?
Golfer's elbow and tennis elbow develop according to the same principle: pulling forces of the forearm muscles overload a tendon attachment at the elbow. The difference lies in the side affected:
| Feature | Golfer's elbow | Tennis elbow |
|---|---|---|
| Location of pain | Inner side of the elbow | Outer side of the elbow |
| Medical term | Medial epicondylitis | Lateral epicondylitis |
| Muscles affected | Flexors of the wrist and fingers, muscles that turn the forearm inwards | Extensors of the wrist and fingers |
| Typical strain | Bending and forceful gripping | Extending the hand and fingers |
| Frequency | much less common | much more common |
Both forms can also occur at the same time. Which structure is affected should be determined by a doctor.
How does golfer's elbow develop?
If the flexor muscles are put under strain frequently, one-sidedly or with unaccustomed force, tiny injuries can develop at the tendon attachment, which can become irritated or inflamed. With increasing age, tendons become less elastic, which can make them more susceptible. Typical triggers include:
- Strength training: lat pulldowns, pull-ups, chest flys or triceps exercises with angled grips
- Grip and throwing sports: golf, climbing, bouldering or throwing events
- Trades and work: frequent hammering, screwing, gripping and carrying, vibrating tools
- House and garden: heavy shopping bags, garden shears, digging
- Unaccustomed exertion such as moving house or a major renovation
Typical symptoms
- Pain on the inner side of the elbow that can radiate into the forearm
- Discomfort when gripping, carrying, shaking hands or bending the wrist
- Pain when turning the forearm, for example when opening screw-top jars
- Tenderness at the inner bony prominence
- Reduced grip strength and discomfort even with the arm bent
The ulnar nerve runs directly behind the inner bony prominence – the spot known as the “funny bone” when you knock it. Tingling or numbness in the ring and little fingers is not part of the typical picture of golfer's elbow and should be checked by a doctor.
Treatment and duration
As with tennis elbow, the initial focus is on conservative treatment without surgery. What makes sense in an individual case is decided by your treating doctor. Frequently recommended measures include:
- Adjusting the load: reducing the movements that trigger the pain, spreading out tasks, taking breaks
- Cooling for acute symptoms
- Physiotherapy with guided exercises and loosening techniques
- Checking technique and equipment: tool grips, training exercises, swing technique
- Supports, orthoses and medical treatments such as medication, injections or shockwave therapy
The symptoms often drag on for weeks or months. Because golfer's elbow is sometimes considered more persistent than tennis elbow, patience and consistent relief of strain are particularly important. You will find practical tips under What helps with tennis elbow? – they apply equally to the inner side. Advice on training can be found under Sport with tennis elbow.
When should you see a doctor?
- The symptoms persist for several weeks or get worse despite rest.
- Your ring and little fingers tingle, feel numb or become weaker.
- The pain began after a fall, a blow or a sudden jolt.
- The elbow is swollen, red or warm, or you also have a fever.
- You can no longer fully bend or straighten your arm.
- The pain is severe even at rest or at night.
An examination can rule out other causes, such as irritation of the ulnar nerve, a ligament injury or complaints originating from the cervical spine.
The Masalo Cuff for golfer's elbow
The Masalo Cuff MED works with counter-traction rather than pressure: the forearm cuff and upper-arm strap redirect part of the pulling forces that would otherwise act on the tendon attachments. It was developed to relieve both the inner and the outer attachment – find out more under How it works.
With golfer's elbow, symptoms often also occur when the arm is bent, so it can take a while for the relief to become noticeable in everyday life. If the upper-arm strap is set a little tighter, the counter-traction already sets in when the arm is bent more sharply. Our fitting guide shows you how to adjust the cuff correctly.
