Joint & Movement Health
Overuse-related tendon pain affecting the outer or inner side of the elbow.
Physician-led assessment · individualized care · Vancouver clinic
Understanding Tennis and Golfer’s Elbow
Maybe it hurts to lift the kettle, turn a doorknob or grip your coffee cup, and the ache sits right on the outside or inside of your elbow. You might never have picked up a racquet or a club. That's completely normal for these conditions, and they do get better with the right plan.
Tennis elbow affects the tendons on the outer side, golfer's elbow the inner side, and both come from repeated forearm loading: gripping, lifting, manual work, gardening or long hours at a keyboard. The tendon where it attaches at the elbow has gone through a bit of a disordered healing process, so it needs re-conditioning more than rest. Easing off the activities that aggravate it, paired with a patient, progressive strengthening program, is what gets most people back to comfortable, pain-free use.
Causes and Contributing Factors
These conditions are generally related to repetitive or unaccustomed loading of the forearm tendons where they attach at the elbow. Activities involving repeated gripping, twisting, or wrist movement, such as manual work, computer use, racquet sports, or gardening, are common contributors. The underlying tendon change is thought to involve disordered healing and structural change within the tendon, with inflammation playing a smaller part. A sudden increase in activity, poor technique, or inadequate recovery can play a role.
Signs and Symptoms
Typical features include:
Assessment
Your assessment is with Dr. Teri Fisher, our sports medicine physician. No referral is needed, and it helps to share your most recent imaging or reports before your appointment.
Dr. Fisher asks about your work, hobbies and activities, how the pain started, and which movements set it off. She then finds the exact tender spot, tests your grip and wrist strength, and uses specific movements to reproduce the pain. Most cases are diagnosed this way, and ultrasound is kept for when the picture is unclear or symptoms hang on. She also checks for any nerve or joint involvement, then builds a rehab plan that fits your work, your hobbies and your timeline.
Sports medicine consultations are physician appointments with a consultation fee, confirmed when you book.
Treatment Options
These are some of the options connected to this concern. The appropriate plan depends on assessment, suitability, and your goals.
Care usually starts with easing off the activities that aggravate the tendon, adjusting technique or workload, and managing pain, while a progressive, guided strengthening program gradually re-conditions the forearm tendon. That strengthening work does the most lasting good. A brace or strap can make activity more comfortable for some people while the tendon recovers. Most cases improve steadily with this approach, with a little patience.
Injections come up often. Dr. Fisher offers ultrasound-guided options as part of a wider plan with rehabilitation, including platelet-rich plasma (PRP), prolotherapy, corticosteroid and hyaluronic acid preparations, chosen at the physician's discretion. For elbow tendinopathy, corticosteroid injections can give short-term relief but are linked to poorer longer-term outcomes, so they're used cautiously, if at all. PRP has been studied here with mixed results and is best seen as a possible option for stubborn cases. Dr. Fisher walks you through the evidence clearly so you can decide with confidence.
For the fuller picture, explore the treatment pages above or discuss the options during a consultation.
Tennis and golfer's elbow involve a disordered healing response in the tendon, which is why activity changes paired with a progressive, guided strengthening program sit at the core of care, and plans are built around a naturally slow-healing tendon. Corticosteroid injections are used cautiously, because for elbow tendinopathy specifically they're linked to poorer long-term outcomes, and PRP is a possible option for stubborn cases, with strengthening remaining the first-line approach.
Selected sources informing our approach. Canadian guidance is prioritized, and manufacturer materials are not treated as independent clinical evidence.
Medical Assessment
See a doctor if pain is severe, follows a specific injury, or isn't improving after a reasonable period of self-care. Numbness, tingling or weakness spreading into the hand may suggest nerve involvement. Locking, significant swelling, or a joint that feels unstable are less typical and need medical review to consider other causes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Not at all. Despite the names, most people with these conditions don't play those sports. They usually relate to repetitive gripping, lifting or wrist activity at work or in hobbies, so anyone who loads the forearm tendons repeatedly can be affected.
Recovery is often gradual and can take weeks to months, depending on severity, activity demands and how the tendon responds. Complete rest may ease pain for a while but doesn't strengthen the tendon, so easing off aggravating activities while following a structured strengthening program tends to help most. Dr. Fisher will help you find the right balance.
Not necessarily. Corticosteroid injections can relieve pain in the short term but, for elbow tendinopathy, are linked to poorer outcomes over the longer term. PRP has mixed evidence here and isn't a first-line treatment. For most people, activity changes and a progressive strengthening program are the most reliable path, and Dr. Fisher will discuss whether an ultrasound-guided injection is reasonable after your assessment.
Physician Assessment
An assessment can help clarify what may be contributing, which options may be appropriate, and what a reasonable next step could look like for you.
Visit Our Clinic
Anti-Aging Medical & Laser Clinic combines medical assessment, individualized planning, physician oversight, and a broad range of treatment options in its Vancouver clinic.
Bring your questions, treatment history, and goals. Your provider can help you understand appropriate options, expected recovery, and realistic outcomes.
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