If you play tennis or golf regularly, you may already know the frustration of elbow pain. Whether it’s the classic “tennis elbow” (lateral epicondylitis) or “golfer’s elbow” (medial epicondylitis), these overuse injuries can keep you off the court or course for weeks.

The good news? With the right strategies, most cases can be prevented and if pain has already started, physiotherapy offers safe, evidence-based solutions.

Why Elbow Pain Happens

Repetitive gripping, swinging, and wrist movements overload the tendons around the elbow.

Tennis elbow: pain on the outside of the elbow (extensor tendons).
Golfer’s elbow: pain on the inside of the elbow (flexor tendons).

Contributing factors include:

Poor technique or equipment set-up
Sudden increase in training load
Weakness in forearm, shoulder, or core muscles
Limited wrist or shoulder mobility
Over-reliance on small muscles instead of whole-body mechanics

Physio-Backed Tips to Prevent Elbow Pain

1. Strengthen Beyond the Elbow

Research shows that strengthening the shoulder, scapula, and core reduces strain on the elbow. Key exercises:

Forearm strengthening (wrist curls, reverse curls, pronation/supination with light weights)
Shoulder external rotation with bands
Scapular stabilisation (rows, Y-T-Ws)

2. Improve Grip & Load Management

Avoid over-gripping your racket or club — let technique, not tension, do the work.
Use equipment with the right grip size and string tension (tennis) or shaft flexibility (golf).

3. Warm Up and Cool Down

Dynamic warm-up for wrists, forearms, and shoulders before play.
Stretch forearms after play: wrist flexor and extensor stretches held 20-30s.

4. Train the Whole Chain

Elbow injuries are often a symptom of poor load transfer from the trunk and legs.

In tennis: use your legs and trunk rotation, not just your wrist, for power.
In golf: let the hips and shoulders drive the swing, not just the arms.

5. Respect Recovery

Avoid sudden spikes in play volume.
Alternate intense sessions with lighter practice.
Address early niggles quickly, don’t “play through pain.”

How Physiotherapy Helps

If elbow pain does develop, a physiotherapist can:

Assess technique and contributing biomechanics
Use manual therapy to ease tendon and joint stiffness
Prescribe targeted strengthening and tendon-loading exercises
Provide load management and return-to-play planning
Guide use of braces or taping if needed

👉 Evidence shows progressive loading and exercise rehab are more effective than rest alone for tendon injuries.

Elbow pain doesn’t have to be part of tennis or golf. With the right mix of strength, technique, and recovery strategies, you can protect your tendons and enjoy the game pain-free. And if pain does creep in, physiotherapy offers safe, proven solutions to get you back on the court or course quickly.

✨ Struggling with tennis or golf elbow? Book a session with our sports physiotherapists at Renard linic and get a tailored, evidence-based rehab and prevention plan.