You don’t have to spend weekends on a tennis court or golf course to end up with an aching elbow. Sometimes the activity behind it is much less obvious: hours at a computer, carrying a toddler, using tools, or tackling a weekend of yard work.
Tennis elbow affects the outer elbow, while golfer’s elbow affects the inner side. Both involve tendons where forearm muscles attach near the elbow, and repetitive gripping, twisting, or lifting can irritate these tissues over time.
Look at What Your Hands Do All Day
When your elbow starts hurting, think about the things you’ve been asking your hands and forearms to do lately. Common examples include:
- Spending long stretches using a keyboard or mouse
- Working with hand tools, painting, or gardening
- Carrying groceries, bags, or a child with a tight grip
- Repeatedly lifting or hauling items at work
- Suddenly doing much more activity than you’re used to
Even one unusually busy weekend can place more demand on the area than it’s accustomed to.
Don’t Look at the Elbow in Isolation
Your wrist, elbow, shoulder, and shoulder blade work together whenever you reach, grip, lift, or carry. If movement is limited elsewhere in that chain, your forearm may end up doing more of the work.
That doesn’t mean shoulder or wrist mechanics are always behind elbow pain. It does mean that examining the whole arm can provide useful information rather than focusing only on the spot that hurts.
Why the Pain Can Hang Around
It’s difficult to completely rest an arm. You still have to type, open doors, make dinner, drive, and pick things up throughout the day.
Rest may calm an irritated elbow, but symptoms can return if the activity or movement pattern that aggravated it hasn’t changed. Small adjustments to how you work or move may therefore become part of the plan.
Ready to Get Your Elbow Checked?
If elbow pain keeps getting in the way of work, exercise, or everyday tasks, we can take a closer look at what may be going on. Contact ProWellness Chiropractic and Rehab in Cold Spring to schedule an evaluation.