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Reduce Pain
Manual therapy for the forearm and elbow, activity modification, and laser therapy to settle the tendon so loading can begin.
Conditions We Treat
Golfer’s Elbow Treatment in Onondaga County
Getting Started
Golfer's Elbow Treatment for Players and Tradespeople
Pain on the inside of the elbow that flares when you grip, lift, throw or swing is golfer’s elbow, and golfers are only a small share of the people who get it. At AR Physical Therapy we treat it the way tendons respond best: calm the pain, load the tendon progressively, and fix the wrist, shoulder and technique issues that overloaded it.
Golfer’s elbow is the inside-of-the-elbow counterpart to tennis elbow, and the plan follows the same principles: reduce pain, then rebuild the tendon through graded strengthening.
We also check the ulnar nerve that runs right beside the sore spot, because tingling in the hand changes the plan.
Learn More
How We Treat Golfer's Elbow
Understanding Golfer’s Elbow
The other side
of the elbow.
of the elbow.
Golfer’s elbow, or medial epicondylitis, is pain where the wrist flexor and pronator muscles attach to the bony bump on the inside of the elbow. Like tennis elbow it is a tendinopathy rather than a true inflammation: the tendon has been asked to do more than it can recover from, often through repeated gripping, wrist flexion or forearm rotation.
It affects throwers, golfers, climbers, weightlifters, carpenters, plumbers and anyone whose work involves heavy or repetitive gripping.
Inside of Elbow
Pain and tenderness at the bony bump, worse making a fist or gripping palm-down
Grip & Rotation
Repeated wrist flexion and forearm rotation overload the flexor-pronator tendon
Nerve Nearby
Tingling in the ring and little fingers means the ulnar nerve is involved
What We See
Who gets
golfer’s elbow.
golfer’s elbow.
See a physical therapist when the pain has lasted more than a few weeks, is affecting work or sport, or comes with numbness or tingling in the hand.
Throwers & pitchers
Golfers
Climbers
Weightlifters
Carpenters & plumbers
Heavy repetitive gripping
Ulnar nerve irritation
Combined with tennis elbow
How We Treat It
Reduce pain,
rebuild the tendon.
rebuild the tendon.
The sequence is the same one that works for the outside of the elbow, adapted to the flexor-pronator tendon and the nerve beside it.
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Load the Tendon
A progressive program for the wrist flexors and pronators, emphasizing slow eccentric work, building through to the gripping and lifting demands of your sport or trade.
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Screen the Nerve
The ulnar nerve runs directly beside the medial epicondyle. We check it at every visit and adjust treatment if it is involved.
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Fix the Source
Shoulder and thoracic mobility, grip and swing or throwing technique, and tool or bar setup so the load is shared rather than concentrated at the elbow.
Why Choose Us
Back to the Course, the Gym and the Job
Deep Tissue Laser Therapy
Laser for the
inner elbow.
inner elbow.
The flexor-pronator tendon on the inside of the elbow is a superficial structure, well within reach of the LightForce Class IV laser. A small contact head is applied over the tendon attachment and along the muscle, increasing circulation and reducing pain in a tendon that recovers slowly on its own. A brief application at the neck can be added to reinforce pain relief through the nerves that supply the elbow.
Golfer’s elbow is studied less often than tennis elbow, so we borrow the broader tendinopathy evidence and say so plainly. A 2021 review of 17 randomized trials across tendon conditions found that laser combined with exercise reduced pain and improved function more than exercise alone.
The approach is identical to what we do for the outside of the elbow: laser lowers the pain, the loading program rebuilds the tendon.
Recovery
What progress
looks like.
looks like.
Most patients feel meaningful pain relief within two to four weeks of starting loading and laser, with grip strength and confidence returning over six to twelve weeks. Any ulnar nerve involvement adds time.
Daily Loading
The flexor-pronator program is the treatment. Do it every day as prescribed.
Ease Off Palm-Down Grips
Avoid heavy palm-down gripping until we clear it, and warm up the forearm before sport or work.
Report Tingling Early
Any tingling in the hand changes the plan. Tell us right away.
Why AR Physical Therapy
Elbow care that
checks the nerve too.
checks the nerve too.
Most elbow pain is a tendon. Some of it is a nerve. We tell the difference and treat accordingly.
- Evaluation and treatment led by a board-certified orthopedic clinical specialist
- Ulnar nerve screened at every visit
- Class IV laser therapy over the tendon and its nerve supply
- Swing, throw and grip mechanics corrected so it stays fixed
LightForceClass IV laser
DorsaVi3D motion capture
KeiserPneumatic resistance
KinventForce plate analysis
Questions
Common questions.
How is golfer’s elbow different from tennis elbow?
Golfer’s elbow is on the inside of the elbow and involves the wrist flexors; tennis elbow is on the outside and involves the wrist extensors. The treatment principles are the same.
Can I keep golfing or throwing?
Usually, with modifications during the early phase. We build the return into the plan rather than telling you to stop.
Why does my hand tingle?
The ulnar nerve runs beside the sore tendon and can become irritated. We screen for it and treat it if needed.
How long is a laser session for the elbow?
A few minutes, delivered within your regular PT visit.
Get Started
Grip, lift and swing
without the sting.
without the sting.
Book an evaluation and start rebuilding the tendon.