Golfer’s elbow, tennis elbow . . . What’s the difference?

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Assembly line workers. People who lift weights with poor technique. Painters and carpenters. There are far more people at risk of developing golfer’s elbow or tennis elbow than just golfers or tennis players. 

It can often be difficult for people with these conditions to determine which one they have. After all, many of the symptoms are very similar — both injuries lead to elbow pain, and they both tend to develop gradually over time. A physical therapist can help you learn some of the differences between golfer’s elbow and tennis elbow. These specialists can also provide treatment for both of these elbow injuries. 

Three differences between tennis elbow and golfer’s elbow

It’s important to know whether you have tennis elbow or golfer’s elbow before you begin treatment. Physical therapists may also refer to these injuries as lateral epicondylitis and medial epicondylitis, respectively. 

There are certain differences that therapists look for to determine which condition you have. Three of these differences are: 

  1. Elbow tendon affected — Your forearm muscles are attached to the elbow bones by tendons. However, different tendons are injured when you have lateral and medial epicondylitis. For patients with the former injury, their lateral epicondyle tendon has been injured. Patients with the later condition have an injury to their medial epicondyle tendon.
  1. When you feel pain — The tendons that are affected by lateral and medial epicondylitis also determine when you might feel pain. Lateral epicondylitis affects the structures that helps you open your fingers. This means you’re more likely to feel pain when letting go of objects. Medial epicondylitis affects the structures that close your fingers, so you’ll typically feel pain when grasping objects. 
  1. Where you feel pain — It’s true that both issues typically cause elbow pain. But the location of your pain will be different depending on which injury you have. Patients with lateral epicondylitis will feel pain on the outside of their elbow. The inside of the elbow will be where medial epicondylitis patients feel pain. 

Find effective treatment for golfer’s elbow and tennis elbow at Excel PT

Not sure where to turn for effective treatment for your elbow injury? Our team at Excel Sports & Physical Therapy is primed to help you find the therapeutic care you need to recover quickly. We’ll start by doing a thorough evaluation of your elbow to determine which elbow issue you’re dealing with. Then, our physical therapists can construct a therapy plan that’s personalized to your needs. Your plan will also be designed to reduce pain and prevent future elbow injuries using therapy methods like: 

Contact our team today for more information about our treatment options for elbow pain or to schedule an initial appointment.