Golfer’s Elbow vs Tennis Elbow: What Is the Difference?

It starts small. A twinge on the elbow when you lift the pressure cooker off the stove, or a sharp catch when you shake hands at a family function. A few weeks later, holding a cup of tea at your desk hurts, wringing out clothes makes you wince, and turning a tight bottle cap feels impossible. Someone tells you it is tennis elbow. You have never held a tennis racquet in your life.

Elbow tendon pain is very common in Bengaluru, among office workers on keyboards all day, homemakers, carpenters, gym-goers and weekend badminton and cricket players. In this guide, our pain specialists explain the difference between tennis elbow and golfer’s elbow, how you can tell which one you might have, which other problems can look similar, and what actually helps them heal without surgery or repeated steroid shots.

What are tennis elbow and golfer’s elbow?

Feel the two bony bumps at your elbow, one on the outer side and one on the inner side. Doctors call them the lateral and medial epicondyles. Each bump is an anchor point where a group of forearm muscles joins the bone through a common tendon.

• Tennis elbow involves the outer bump. The muscles attached here lift the wrist and fingers back, and they work hard every time you grip something firmly.
• Golfer’s elbow involves the inner bump. These muscles bend the wrist forward, turn the palm down and help you squeeze. Golfer’s elbow is less common than tennis elbow, but it is far from rare.

The names come from sport only because these were where doctors first noticed them. In practice, most people we see with either condition have never played tennis or golf. We touched on tennis elbow briefly in our simple guide to frozen shoulder and tennis elbow; this article goes deeper into both elbow tendons.

Is it inflammation, or something else?

For years these conditions were called “epicondylitis”, with “itis” meaning inflammation. When doctors looked at the tendon tissue under a microscope, though, they found very little classic inflammation. Instead, the tendon showed signs of overload and failed repair: disorganised fibres, weaker structure and small new blood vessels and nerve endings. That is why many specialists now prefer the terms “epicondylalgia” (elbow pain) or “tendinopathy” (a tendon that is not coping).

This matters for treatment. If the problem were only inflammation, anti-inflammatory tablets and steroid shots would fix it. Because the real issue is a tendon that has been asked to do more than it can handle, the answer is to reduce the overload, then gradually build the tendon’s capacity back up. The same idea applies to shoulder tendons, as we explain in rotator cuff tears and tendinitis.

What causes tennis elbow and golfer’s elbow if I don’t play sport?

Any task that involves repeated gripping, wrist movement or twisting, especially if it is new, heavy or done for hours, can overload these tendons. Common everyday triggers include:

• Typing and mouse use for long hours, particularly with the wrist bent back on a laptop. Long desk days also bring neck pain from screen hours, and the two often travel together.
• Household work: wringing clothes, chopping vegetables, grinding, lifting a full pressure cooker or water can, and carrying heavy shopping bags with the palm facing down.
• Manual trades: carpentry, plumbing, painting, tailoring, using screwdrivers and hammers.
• Gym and sport: heavy bicep curls, pull-ups with a tight grip, cricket bowling and throwing, badminton smashes, and of course tennis and golf. If you play regularly, our guide to sports injuries and faster recovery covers training load in more detail.
• Sudden change: a new job, a house move, a new baby to lift, or a sudden burst of activity after months of rest.

These problems are most common between about 35 and 55 years of age. Smoking, being overweight and conditions such as diabetes and thyroid disorders seem to make tendons slower to recover. If you have diabetes and your shoulder is also stiff, read frozen shoulder and diabetes, as tendon and capsule problems often cluster together.

Tennis elbow vs golfer’s elbow: how do they compare?

How can I tell which one I have?

A doctor’s examination is the most reliable way, but these simple checks can give you a good idea. Do them gently and stop if the pain is sharp.

Signs that point to tennis elbow

• Pressing on the bony bump on the outer elbow, or just below it, is tender.
• With your arm straight and palm facing down, try to lift the back of your hand up while someone gently pushes it down. Pain on the outer elbow suggests tennis elbow.
• Lifting a chair or a full water bottle with your palm facing down hurts, but lifting it with your palm facing up hurts less.

Signs that point to golfer’s elbow

• The bony bump on the inner elbow is tender to press.
• With your palm facing up, bending the wrist down against resistance, or squeezing something firmly, brings on pain on the inner side.
• You may notice tingling or numbness in the ring and little fingers, especially when the elbow stays bent for a long time, such as holding a phone. That suggests the nearby ulnar nerve is irritated too, and it should be checked.

When the elbow is not the real problem

Not every elbow ache comes from the elbow. A pinched nerve in the neck can send pain, burning or tingling down to the elbow and forearm, and it can mimic either condition. Clues include neck stiffness, pain that spreads beyond the elbow, and symptoms that change when you move your neck. Wear-and-tear changes such as cervical spondylosis are a common reason. Tingling in the thumb and first fingers points more towards carpal tunnel syndrome at the wrist, while pain at the base of the thumb when you lift a baby may be De Quervain’s tenosynovitis. Fingers that catch or click suggest trigger finger. People who grip a lot can have more than one of these at the same time, which is why we examine the whole arm, from neck to fingertips.

A swollen, hot elbow with pain in several other joints is a different story, and may need tests for conditions such as gout or inflammatory arthritis.

How long does tennis elbow or golfer’s elbow last?

The honest answer is: often longer than people expect, but most cases do get better. Many people improve over several months to a year, especially when they adjust how they load the arm. Tendons have a modest blood supply and remodel slowly, so patience is part of the treatment.

What about a steroid injection? Research on tennis elbow has shown that a steroid shot can give quick relief for a few weeks, but people who received one were more likely to have their pain return later than those who were given exercise or simply waited. Repeated shots can also thin the tendon and the skin, and lighten the skin colour at the injection site. If you have already had several, our article on steroid side effects from repeated injections explains what to watch for, and if you live with diabetes, steroids can push your sugar up for days, as discussed in why steroid-free care matters for people with diabetes.

Painkiller tablets and gels may take the edge off for a short time, but they do not strengthen the tendon. Depending on them for months is a sign the cause has not been addressed; read why painkillers are not the answer.

Do elbow straps and braces help?

A counterforce strap, worn a couple of finger-widths below the painful bump, can ease pain during gripping tasks for some people. A simple wrist splint worn at night may help tennis elbow by resting the wrist muscles. These are useful helpers, not a cure. Wear the strap for the activities that hurt, not all day, and keep doing your exercises.

How Dr Heal treats tennis elbow and golfer’s elbow

Our shoulder and elbow pain treatment is built around one idea: a tendon heals when the load on it matches what it can handle, and when the body around it is healthy enough to repair. A typical plan looks like this:

1. Confirm the real source. We examine the elbow, the neck, the wrist and the nerves, and use ultrasound or X-ray in our in-house radiology facilities only when it adds something. If a neck nerve is involved, our neck pain treatment team works alongside.
2. Adjust the load, not stop living. We use relative rest: you keep using the arm but cut back on the movements that flare it, change your grip, and fix your desk or work set-up.
3. Help stubborn tendons repair, without steroids. For pain that has not settled with good rehab, we may offer an injection of Dr Heal’s own regenerative preparation, made by Dr Heal Pharma. It contains no steroid, painkiller or antibiotic, and it is meant to support tendon healing rather than mask pain for a few weeks. You can read how this works in regenerative medicine explained.
4. Look at the whole body. Through functional medicine and clinical nutrition, we check blood sugar, thyroid, and vitamin D and B12 levels, along with weight, sleep and smoking, all of which affect tendon repair.
5. Guided rehab until your grip is back. Our therapists progress your exercises step by step, and we follow up until you can type, cook, lift and play without fear of a flare.

If your hand and wrist are also involved, our wrist and hand pain treatment covers those problems too. You can also meet our pain specialists before you visit.

Which exercises help tennis elbow and golfer’s elbow?

Loading exercises are the backbone of recovery. Mild discomfort, up to about 3 out of 10, is acceptable during exercise as long as it settles by the next morning. Ask your doctor or therapist before starting if your pain is severe.

1. Isometric holds (first stage). Rest your forearm on a table. For tennis elbow, keep the palm down and press the back of your hand up into your other hand without moving; for golfer’s elbow, keep the palm up and press upwards into your other hand. Hold 30 to 45 seconds, rest, and repeat 4 to 5 times. These often ease pain quickly.
2. Slow lowering (eccentric) exercises. Hold a light weight, such as a half-litre water bottle. For tennis elbow, palm down, use your other hand to lift the wrist up, then slowly lower it over 3 to 4 seconds on its own. For golfer’s elbow, do the same with the palm facing up. Start with 2 to 3 sets of 10 to 15, once a day.
3. Grip and forearm strength. Squeeze a soft ball or a rolled towel, and gently turn the forearm palm up and palm down with a light hammer or bottle.
4. Shoulder and upper back strength. A weak shoulder makes the forearm work harder. Simple band rows and shoulder blade squeezes help share the load.
5. Progress slowly. Increase the weight every week or two only if pain is steady or improving. Expect to continue for at least 8 to 12 weeks.

What you can do at home and at work

• Lift with your palm up. Carry bags and buckets with the palm facing up or close to the body, and use two hands for the pressure cooker or a water can.
• Set up your desk. Keep the keyboard and mouse close, wrists straight rather than bent back, and forearms supported. A laptop stand with a separate keyboard helps your neck and elbow together.
• Use thicker handles. Wrap tool, knife and racquet handles to make them thicker, so you do not need to squeeze as hard.
• Do not wring clothes by hand. Use the washing machine spin or press water out against a flat surface.
• Take micro-breaks. Every 30 to 45 minutes, let the hands relax and gently stretch the forearm.
• Look after sleep. Tendons repair better when you sleep well; see sleep and chronic pain. Avoid sleeping with the elbow tightly bent if you have finger tingling.

Frequently asked questions

Can you have tennis elbow and golfer’s elbow at the same time?

Yes. It is less common, but people who grip heavily, such as carpenters or gym-goers, can overload both tendons. The treatment principles are the same, with exercises for both sides.

Should I completely rest my arm?

No. Total rest weakens the tendon further. Reduce the activities that flare it, but keep the arm moving and start gentle loading exercises.

Is a steroid injection a good idea for tennis elbow?

It may ease pain for a few weeks, but the pain is more likely to come back later, and repeated shots can weaken the tendon. Exercise-based care, with steroid-free options for stubborn cases, tends to give longer-lasting results.

Do I need an MRI for elbow pain?

Usually not. The diagnosis is made from your history and examination. An ultrasound or MRI is useful if pain does not improve, there was an injury, or a nerve or joint problem is suspected.

Will I need surgery for tennis elbow or golfer’s elbow?

Very rarely. Surgery is considered only when disabling pain continues for many months despite proper rehabilitation and other non-surgical care. Most people never need it.

Where can I get tennis elbow or golfer’s elbow treated without surgery in Bengaluru?

Dr Heal Pain Cure Hospital treats elbow tendon pain without surgery or steroids at its HSR Layout and Banashankari branches, both open 24 hours. Patients come to us from across Karnataka, and we also manage wider joint pain and arthritis.

This article is for general information and is not a substitute for a medical consultation. Please see a doctor for advice about your own symptoms.