Tennis Elbow and Golfer’s Elbow: What’s Causing Your Elbow Pain?

Elbow pain can be frustrating, limiting, and persistent, especially when it interferes with work, sport, or simple daily tasks such as lifting, gripping, or typing. Elbow pain is a common reason people seek Myotherapy treatment in Botanic Ridge, Cranbourne, Langwarrin & other surrounding suburbs of Melbourne's South-East.

Two of the most common elbow conditions treated at Essbee Myotherapy are Tennis Elbow (Lateral Epicondylalgia) and Golfer’s Elbow (Medial Epicondylalgia).

Despite their sporting names, you do not need to play tennis or golf to experience these conditions. Many clients presenting to our Botanic Ridge myotherapy clinic develop elbow pain through repetitive work tasks, manual labour, office-based roles, gym training, or everyday activities that place repeated strain on the forearm and elbow tendons.

What Is Tennis Elbow?

Pain Indicated at Lateral Epicondyle of the Patient's Right Arm: Tennis Elbow

Tennis Elbow affects the outside of the elbow and involves irritation, overload, or degeneration of the tendons that attach to the lateral epicondyle. These tendons are responsible for wrist extension and gripping movements, which are commonly used during work, sport, and daily activities.

Common symptoms of Tennis Elbow include pain or burning on the outside of the elbow, reduced grip strength, pain when lifting, gripping, or shaking hands, discomfort that may travel down the forearm, and symptoms that worsen with repetitive use. Tennis Elbow is frequently seen in clients seeking Myotherapy in Cranbourne and Langwarrin due to occupational and training demands rather than sport alone.

What Is Golfer’s Elbow?

Pain indicated on client's Medial Epicondyle of Left Arm (Golfers Elbow)

Golfer’s Elbow affects the inside of the elbow and involves the tendons responsible for wrist flexion and forearm rotation. These tendons are heavily loaded during gripping, lifting, pulling, and rotational movements.

Common symptoms of Golfer’s Elbow include pain or tenderness on the inside of the elbow, stiffness or weakness in the forearm, pain when gripping, lifting, or twisting, and occasional tingling into the forearm or hand. Golfer’s Elbow is commonly treated at Essbee Myotherapy in Botanic Ridge, particularly in golfers, tradespeople, gym-goers, and individuals with repetitive upper limb workloads.

What Causes Tennis and Golfer’s Elbow?

Both conditions are typically the result of repetitive overload, poor movement mechanics, or insufficient recovery. Elbow tendinopathies often develop gradually and worsen over time if the underlying contributors are not addressed.

Contributing factors often include repetitive gripping or lifting tasks, sudden increases in training volume or intensity, poor technique during sport or gym exercises, weakness or tightness in the forearm, shoulder, or upper back, and inadequate recovery between sessions. These factors are frequently identified during myotherapy assessments in Cranbourne, Botanic Ridge, and Langwarrin.

Over time, these stresses exceed the tendon’s ability to adapt and heal, resulting in ongoing pain, reduced function, and difficulty performing daily or sporting activities.

Activities That Increase Your Risk

You may be more susceptible to Tennis Elbow or Golfer’s Elbow if you regularly participate in racquet sports such as tennis or badminton, play golf or cricket, perform manual or trade-based work, use tools that require prolonged gripping, spend long hours typing or using a mouse, lift weights without proper load management, or complete repetitive household or gardening tasks. These activities are common contributors seen in clients attending Myotherapy treatment in the local Cranbourne and Langwarrin areas.

How Are Tennis and Golfer’s Elbow Diagnosed?

Diagnosis is usually based on a detailed history of symptoms and activity levels, along with a physical assessment of elbow, wrist, and shoulder function. Specific movements and grip-based tests are used to reproduce symptoms and identify contributing factors.

In some persistent cases, imaging such as ultrasound or MRI may be recommended. However, most cases of Tennis Elbow and Golfer’s Elbow can be accurately diagnosed through clinical assessment by a qualified Myotherapist without the need for imaging.

How Myotherapy Helps Treat Elbow Pain

At Essbee Myotherapy, treatment focuses not only on relieving pain at the elbow, but also on addressing the underlying reasons the area has become overloaded. This approach is essential for long-term recovery and preventing recurrence.

Myotherapy treatment may include targeted soft tissue therapy to the forearm and elbow muscles, tendon load management strategies, joint mobilisation of the elbow, wrist, and shoulder, myofascial dry needling where appropriate, corrective exercises to restore strength and tendon capacity, and education around activity modification and recovery. This evidence-informed approach is commonly used for elbow pain management at our Botanic Ridge clinic.

Benefits of Myotherapy for Tennis and Golfer’s Elbow

Myotherapy offers a comprehensive approach to managing Tennis Elbow and Golfer’s Elbow by addressing pain, tissue health, movement quality, and long-term resilience.

Treatment helps reduce pain and irritation at the elbow while improving grip strength and overall arm function. Through targeted soft tissue therapy, overloaded muscles and tendons are unloaded, allowing the body to recover more efficiently and tolerate daily and sporting demands.

Myofascial Dry Needling may be used to reduce muscle tension, decrease pain sensitivity, and improve local blood flow around the forearm and elbow. This assists in calming irritated tissues and restoring normal muscle activation patterns that often contribute to ongoing tendon stress.

Myofascial Functional Cupping is used to improve tissue mobility, reduce fascial restrictions, and enhance circulation through the forearm and elbow region. This technique helps offload stressed tendons, improve movement freedom, and support the healing environment of the affected tissues.

Exercise Rehabilitation is a key component of long-term recovery. A structured program focuses on gradually reloading the tendon, improving forearm strength, restoring grip capacity, and addressing contributing weaknesses through the shoulder, upper back, and wrist. This approach significantly reduces the risk of recurrence and is a cornerstone of Myotherapy treatment in Cranbourne and Langwarrin.

Together, these approaches help restore efficient movement patterns, address contributing shoulder and wrist restrictions, and support a safe return to work, sport, and training.

With an individualised myotherapy and exercise rehabilitation plan, many people experience significant improvement in Tennis Elbow and Golfer’s Elbow symptoms without the need for injections or surgical intervention.

Do Not Let Elbow Pain Hold You Back

Elbow pain rarely resolves on its own when it is linked to repetitive daily demands. Early myotherapy intervention can significantly shorten recovery time and prevent symptoms from becoming chronic.

Book a myotherapy assessment today if you are experiencing ongoing elbow pain, Tennis Elbow, or Golfer’s Elbow.

Essbee Myotherapy is conveniently located in Botanic Ridge and proudly supports clients from Cranbourne, Langwarrin, and surrounding communities.

Book online or contact Essbee Myotherapy to begin your recovery.