You don’t need to play either sport to develop these conditions!
Imagine being diagnosed with tennis elbow, and the last time you held a racket was in primary school. Or golfer’s elbow when the closest you’ve come to a golf course is driving past one.
Despite their sporty names, these conditions are surprisingly common in people who have never played either sport.
The reason? Your everyday activities might be putting more strain on your elbows than yourealise.
First, What’s the Difference?
Tennis Elbow (Lateral Epicondylitis)
Tennis elbow causes pain around the outside of the elbow, usually involving the tendons of the wrist extensor muscles. It is commonly associated with repetitive or excessive gripping, lifting and wrist movements, particularly when the tendons aren’t accustomed to the load.
Golfer’s Elbow (Medial Epicondylitis)
Golfer’s elbow causes pain around the inside of the elbow, usually involving the tendons of the wrist flexor and pronator muscles. Like tennis elbow, it can develop when the tendons are exposed to more loading than they can comfortably tolerate.
So, if sport isn’t necessarily to blame, what is?
Meet the Unexpected Suspects!
1. The Grocery Bag Olympics 🛍
You know that moment when you refuse to make two trips from the car? Eight grocery bags, a handbag and your water bottle, all hanging from two hands. Carrying heavy bags with a sustained grip can aggravate the tendons around the elbow, particularly if they’re already sensitive.
Physio tip: Distribute the load, use a trolley when possible and take an extra trip. Your elbows don’t need to prove anything!
2. The Keyboard Warrior 💻
Eight hours of emails, typing, clicking and scrolling. Your forearm muscles may be working harder than you think. Repetitive mouse use, sustained gripping and awkward wrist positions can contribute to elbow discomfort, particularly when combined with other demanding activities.
Physio tip: Keep your workstation comfortable, change positions regularly and take movement breaks throughout the day.
3. The DIY Champion 🔨
One minute you’re fixing a loose cupboard handle. Next, you’ve decided to renovate the entire house. Screwdrivers, drills and paint rollers require repeated gripping and forearm movements. A sudden increase in these activities can overload the tendons around your elbow.
Physio tip: Pace bigger projects, take breaks and avoid going from zero DIY to professional contractor overnight!
4. The Cleaning Marathon 🧹
Scrubbing floors, wringing out cloths, washing windows and sweeping the entire house in one morning? All that repetitive gripping, twisting and wrist movement can place considerable demands on your forearm muscles.
Physio tip: Alternate tasks, vary your grip and spread demanding chores across the week.
5. The Gym Enthusiast 💪
You’ve decided this is your fitness era. We love that for you! But suddenly doubling your weights, increasing your pull-ups or adding intense gripping exercises may be more than your tendons are ready for. Both tennis elbow and golfer’s elbow can occur with gym activities, particularly when training loads increase too quickly.
Physio tip: Progress your exercises gradually and allow sufficient recovery between demanding sessions.
6. The Gardening Guru 🌱
Gardening sounds relaxing until you’ve spent three hours pruning, digging, pulling weeds and carrying heavy pots. Repeated gripping and wrist movements can contribute to tendon overload, especially after a sudden increase in activity.
Physio tip: Rotate gardening tasks, use comfortable tools and take regular breaks.
7. The Unexpected Connection: Your Neck! 🦴
Here’s something you might not expect: sometimes elbow pain doesn’t originate from the elbow at all. Your cervical spine (neck) contains nerves that travel through your shoulders and arms, all the way to your hands. When these nerves become irritated or compressed, pain can travel down the arm and be felt around the elbow. Certain structures in the neck can also refer pain into the arm without direct nerve compression. As a result, neck-related conditions can sometimes produce symptoms that resemble tennis elbow or golfer’s elbow.
Signs that your neck might be involved include:
- Elbow pain accompanied by neck or shoulder discomfort.
- Pain travelling from your neck down your arm.
- Tingling, numbness or weakness in your arm or hand.
- Elbow symptoms that change when you move your neck. It’s also possible to have both a neck-related condition and a local elbow tendon problem at the same time.
Physio tip: If your elbow pain isn’t improving or is accompanied by symptoms elsewhere in your arm, having your cervical spine assessed may help identify the source. After all, sometimes your elbow is taking the blame for something happening further up.
So, how can physiotherapy help?
Whether your symptoms are related to overloaded elbow tendons, your cervical spine or a combination of factors, physiotherapy can help identify contributing factors and guide your recovery.
Physiotherapy may include:
- Assessment: Examining your elbow, neck and surrounding structures to identify possible sources of pain.
- Pain management: Using appropriate strategies to reduce discomfort and improve function.
- Progressive strengthening: Gradually improving the strength and load tolerance of your forearm muscles and tendons.
- Manual therapy: Applying appropriate hands-on techniques when clinically indicated.
- Activity modification: Helping you continue everyday activities while managing aggravating loads.
- Prevention strategies: Providing guidance on ergonomics, exercise progression and long-term load management.
Recovery may take time, but an individualised rehabilitation programme can help you return to your usual activities with greater confidence.
The Final Serve 🎾
Whether you’re an office worker, gym enthusiast, DIY champion or someone determined to carry every grocery bag in one trip, your elbows work hard every day. And while tennis elbow and golfer’s elbow are often associated with repetitive loading, not every painful elbow is caused by an elbow problem.
If persistent elbow pain is interfering with your daily activities, it’s worth finding out what’s really causing it. A physiotherapist can help assess your symptoms, identify contributing factors and develop a rehabilitation programme tailored to your needs.
Because you shouldn’t need a sporting injury to take your elbow pain seriously
