

Ice, rest, anti-inflammatory medications and changes to repetitive stress movements are usually enough to treat tennis elbow and golfer’s elbow. Unlike a Tommy John injury or traumatic injuries that require elbow replacement surgery, tennis elbow and golfer’s elbow typically only require non-surgical treatments and physical therapy.

Tennis Elbow and Golfer’s Elbow Treatments A repetitive stress injury caused by overuse, golfer’s elbow occurs from damage to the muscles and tendons that connect to the medial epicondyle (the inner bump on the elbow), which can cause severe inner elbow pain. Golfer’s elbow, also known as medial epicondylitis, is similar to tennis elbow but occurs on the opposite side of the elbow. This causes pain and inflammation, AKA tennis elbow. When the ECRB is weakened from overuse, microscopic tears in the extensor can form where it attaches to the lateral epicondyle (the outer bump on the elbow). The extensors (forearm tendons) attach this muscle and other muscles to bone. This muscle in the forearm is responsible for the extension of the wrists and fingers. Tennis elbow, also known as lateral epicondylitis, often involves the muscle called the Extensor Carpi Radialis Brevis (ECRB). This can lead to tennis elbow and/or golfer’s elbow. To avoid repetitive stress injuries, it’s important to vary your strength training exercises. If you always do the same one or two types of bicep curls, your arms and elbows are repetitively stressed by the same forces. Why is this important? Because repetition leads to overuse injuries. You’re not varying your bicep curl workout.Īccording to the International Sports Sciences Association (the leading sports science teaching institution for personal trainers, strength training specialists, yoga instructors and group exercise instructors), there are 12 different variations of bicep curls. If your lack of grip strength causes you to over-grip the bar or dumbbells, or if your inadequate forearm strength causes a flexion or extension of the wrist, the weight is probably too heavy for you to curl while maintaining proper form. Poor form can lead to elbow pain and injury. Too much weight for your bicep curl may have nothing to do with your bicep strength – and everything to do with your grip and forearm strength.Īs mentioned above, gripping too tightly or extending or flexing your wrist during a bicep curl can lead to inner and outside elbow pain. While this may seem obvious, it’s a bit more nuanced than you may think. On the flip side, if you extend/bend your wrists backward during a curl, the weight will activate the extension tendons in your wrists that are attached to the outer side of your elbow, which can cause outside elbow pain and tennis elbow. Similar to gipping the bar or dumbbell too tight, allowing your wrists to roll forward will activate the flexor tendon and can lead to inner elbow pain. You’re not keeping your wrist in a strong, neutral position throughout the curl. Even if your wrist maintains a neutral position throughout the curl, activating the flexor tendon in this way can lead to inner elbow pain and golfer’s elbow.

Gripping the bar or dumbbell too tight activates the flexor tendon that allows your wrist to bend or curl forward.

You’re gripping the bar or dumbbell too tight. Four Common Reasons for Elbow Pain from Bicep Curls 1. If you’re experiencing inner elbow pain or outside elbow pain, it could be related to one or more common mistakes in your bicep curl form. If your pain doesn’t subside after fixing your form, it’s important to know when to see a doctor for your elbow injury. While chest, triceps and shoulder exercises can all put pressure on the elbow, the most common cause of elbow pain during and after lifting is improper bicep curls. What causes elbow pain when lifting weights? Tennis elbow and golfer’s elbow typically involve stress during flexion and extension of the elbow and wrist, which occur in various strength training exercises. The elbow allows for four basic functions: flexion, extension, supination and pronation. The bump on the outside of the elbow is called the lateral epicondyle and the bump on the inside of the elbow is the medial epicondyle. There are two bony bumps at the bottom of the humerus called epicondyles that connect the muscles and tendons in the forearm to the elbow. The elbow is made up of three bones – the radius and ulna (forearm bones) and the humerus (upper arm bone) – as well as muscles, ligaments and tendons that hold the joint together.
