General information
Elbow pain in active adults
Outer-elbow pain, often called tennis elbow, is common in racquet sports, golf, yard work and repetitive gripping at work. Most cases improve with time, load management and specific strengthening.
Common causes
- Tendon irritation on the outer elbow (tennis elbow)
- Inner-elbow tendon pain (golfer’s elbow)
- Pain with gripping, lifting a coffee cup or turning a key
Where care usually starts
- Lighten the grip and adjust equipment or technique
- Progressive forearm strengthening exercises
- A counterforce strap during activity if it helps
- Patience — tendon recovery commonly takes weeks to months
If it isn’t improving
- Examination and office ultrasound of the tendon
- Focused shockwave in selected chronic cases
- PRP using your own cells, considered after conservative care has had a fair trial
- Surgery is rarely needed and reserved for persistent cases
Get seen promptly if you notice
- Numbness or tingling into the hand that does not settle
- Deformity, a pop with sudden weakness, or inability to move the elbow
- Fever, redness or swelling around the elbow
For a medical emergency, call 911.
Read more in the free guide, Outer-Elbow Pain and Tennis Elbow: General Information, or browse Patient Education and home exercises.
General education only — not medical advice or a diagnosis. Treatment decisions are made together after an examination.