Get Relief From Golfers Elbow Pain in Chicago
Golfer’s elbow can be frustrating because it affects simple things you use your hand and arm for every day, gripping, lifting, carrying, working out, typing, or swinging a golf club.
At Ravenswood Chiropractic & Wellness in Andersonville – Chicago, we treat golfer’s elbow by looking beyond the painful spot on the inside of the elbow. The real question is often: why is that tendon being overloaded in the first place?
Our approach combines chiropractic care, physical therapy, Class IV laser therapy, shockwave therapy, and movement-based physical therapy to help calm symptoms and improve how your arm handles load over time.
“Golfer’s elbow is not just a golf injury. It is usually a tendon-load problem that shows up when the hand, wrist, elbow, and shoulder are not sharing stress well.” – Dr. Todd Renn, D.C.
What Most People Get Wrong About Golfer’s Elbow
A lot of people assume golfer’s elbow only happens to golfers. In reality, we see it in people who lift weights, work with tools, type, grip, pull, garden, cook, or do repetitive hand and wrist movements.
The pain is usually felt on the inside of the elbow, but the problem often involves more than one irritated spot. The wrist flexor tendons, forearm muscles, grip mechanics, shoulder control, and even neck mechanics can all influence how much stress ends up at the elbow.
That is why rest may help temporarily, but the pain can return once normal activity starts again.
Advanced Treatment Options for Golfer’s Elbow
Our Conservative Care Approach
Some patients with golfer’s elbow have tried massage, injections, or acupuncture elsewhere as part of a broader conservative care plan. At our Andersonville office, our approach focuses on chiropractic care, physical therapy, Class IV laser therapy, shockwave therapy, and movement-based physical therapy.
Our goal is not just to reduce pain in the short term. We want to understand how the wrist, forearm, elbow, shoulder, and neck are contributing so the inside of the elbow is not repeatedly overloaded.
Radial Shockwave Therapy
Radial Shockwave Therapy is one of the advanced treatment options for golfer’s elbow available at Ravenswood Chiropractic in Chicago. Radial Shockwave therapy reduces pain by promoting the release of pain mediators, stimulating the repair of damaged tissues with neovascularization, and stimulating fibroblast activity and procollagen synthesis. Radial Shockwave Therapy can help reduce pain and stiffness in your elbow and improve the range of motion in affected areas by reducing both acute and chronic inflammation through mast cell degranulation, further promoting a localized healing response. Individual results vary; some patients notice early improvement, while others improve more gradually from this non-surgical therapy for golfer’s elbow pain. Treatments last 5-10 minutes and are scheduled a week apart. Schedule a consultation to see if radial shockwave therapy can help you get back to doing activities you enjoy.
Class IV Laser Therapy
Patients with golfers’ elbow can experience significant relief from the pain and stiffness of this condition with Class IV Laser Therapy which is another advanced treatment option available at Ravenswood Chiropractic in Chicago. This laser does not cut or burn but is gentle and emits photon light absorbed by the surrounding cellular tissue. This initiates a series of therapeutic effects within the cells, increasing metabolic activity and improving nutrient transport. As a result, inflammation reduces, scar tissue and associated symptoms become reduced, and overall comfort is increased. Class IV Laser treatment is an ideal treatment to use with Radial Shockwave Therapy. Such an optimal healing environment may help create a better healing environment as part of a broader care plan for elbow pain.
We have provided quality Chiropractic Care for Golfer’s Elbow for over 20 years.
Chiropractic care is also an effective treatment for golfer’s elbow, as it can help improve your range of motion and decrease the intensity of symptoms. Our chiropractic physicians will assess your condition during your examination. One of the most important is a functional movement assessment which looks outside the box of your elbow to the movement patterns of your back, neck, shoulder, elbow, and wrist and corrects those imbalances, so pain will go away and stay away. Your chiropractic physician may perform extremity adjustments to gently manipulate joints back into the proper position, reducing inflammation and pain in chronic conditions. Additionally, our chiropractors at Ravenswood Chiropractic in Chicago may provide comprehensive rehabilitation exercises to help strengthen muscles to gain desired results from treatment.
Physical Therapy
Physical therapy is an important part of golfer’s elbow treatment and recovery. During physical therapy sessions, your chiropractor will create a specialized program to target the muscles affected by your golfer’s elbow pain. This may include stretches and exercises to reduce inflammation and promote proper joint function. Additionally, we may recommend electric stimulation or ultrasound to reduce inflammation further.
Why Golfer’s Elbow Keeps Coming Back
One of the most common things we hear is, “It got better for a while, but then it came right back.”
That often happens when the tendon calms down, but the underlying stress pattern does not change. If grip demands, wrist mechanics, shoulder control, or training load stay the same, the inside of the elbow may keep taking more stress than it can tolerate.
“Pain relief matters, but with golfer’s elbow we also have to rebuild the tendon’s ability to handle real life again: gripping, lifting, pulling, and returning to activity.” – Dr. Todd Renn, D.C.
Is It Golfer’s Elbow or Nerve Irritation?
Golfer’s elbow usually causes pain on the inside of the elbow, especially with gripping, pulling, or wrist motion.
If symptoms feel sharp, electric, numb, or tingly, especially into the ring and little fingers then nerve irritation may also need to be considered. That does not always mean something serious is happening, but it does mean the evaluation should look beyond the tendon alone.
Schedule an Appointment or free consultation with our Chiropractic Physicians
The first step towards relief starts with an accurate diagnosis and treatment plan. So contact our Andersonville – Chicago office to schedule an appointment and start your recovery today. Our experienced and caring team will develop a personalized treatment plan just for you, tailored to your individual needs and lifestyle. So don’t let pain keep you from enjoying the sport you love, contact us today!
Home Care for Golfer’s Elbow Until You Can Come To Our Office
Utilize Rest and Ice for Pain Relief
Taking a break from the game can be challenging, but it’s essential to rest your muscles and tendons if you have golfer’s elbow pain. In addition, applying ice several times a day can help reduce inflammation and minimize pain.
Use Compression Wraps to Reduce Swelling and Discomfort
Compression wraps are a simple but effective treatment that helps reduce pain and swelling associated with golfer’s elbow. The wraps will help apply steady pressure to the area, reducing discomfort and blocking nerves from communicating pain signals to the brain. This can provide relief from symptoms, as well as accelerate healing time. In addition, they are safe and easy to use, making them an ideal home treatment option for people with golfer’s elbow.
Golfer’s Elbow FAQs
Why does golfer’s elbow hurt on the inside of the elbow?
Golfer’s elbow usually involves irritation of the tendons that attach to the inside of the elbow. These tendons help with gripping, pulling, and wrist motion, so they can become sensitive when the area is overloaded.
Can you get golfer’s elbow if you do not play golf?
Yes. Many people with golfer’s elbow do not play golf at all. It can develop from lifting, typing, tool use, cooking, gardening, or other repetitive gripping and wrist motions.
Why does golfer’s elbow keep coming back?
Rest may calm symptoms down, but it does not always change the reason the tendon became overloaded. If grip mechanics, wrist motion, shoulder control, or activity load are not addressed, symptoms can return.
Can golfer’s elbow cause numbness or tingling?
Golfer’s elbow itself is usually a tendon problem. If you notice numbness, tingling, or electric symptoms into the hand, especially the ring and little fingers, nerve irritation may also need to be evaluated.
What helps golfer’s elbow heal without surgery?
Many cases respond well to conservative care that includes load management, targeted rehab, joint and movement assessment, and supportive therapies such as Class IV laser therapy or shockwave therapy when appropriate.
When should golfer’s elbow be checked urgently?
Seek more immediate care if pain follows a sudden injury with deformity, major swelling, inability to move the elbow, worsening weakness or numbness, fever, redness, warmth, or signs of infection.
