This page provides you with information and self-help advice for managing musculoskeletal elbow problems.
Elbow pain is very common and will affect most people at some point in their lives. It is typically not serious and most elbow problems improve with time, and with simple changes to lifestyle and appropriate exercises. Tennis elbow is one of the most common causes of elbow pain.
When to speak to a health professional
Elbow problems can normally be managed in the first instance without the need to attend hospital. However, if you have any of the following symptoms, you should seek medical help more urgently:
- Red skin, swelling and pain over the elbow with a fever and general feeling of being unwell
- Pain and difficulty moving your elbow after an injury
- Severe pain and a snapping sensation in the front of your elbow when heavy lifting.
Self help and recovery
The most common causes of elbow pain are tennis elbow and golfer’s elbow. Tennis elbow is pain from the tendons on the outside of the elbow, and golfer’s elbow is pain on the inside.
It can start because of sport but more commonly after repetitive work or overuse. Less common causes of elbow pain include arthritis or gout. As well as being painful both causes usually result in a loss of movement in the elbow.
Successful treatment of elbow pain depends on having an accurate diagnosis. If your symptoms are not improving with simple exercises and adapting your activities, then see your GP or physiotherapist for an assessment.
Types of physiotherapy treatment for elbow pain
Some physiotherapy treatments such as massage, electrotherapy and acupuncture have very little value in treating elbow pain and are not recommended.
Steroid injections should also be avoided in tennis or golfer’s elbow. Although they offer good short-term relief it is more likely that the pain will come back and last longer overall (than if no injection was given).
If you have tennis elbow or golfer’s elbow you should initially try to reduce or modify aggravating activities for two to four weeks and even consider wearing elbow support or brace or clasp.
Examples of activity modification include:
- using a computer mouse instead of a laptop trackpad
- putting a thicker grip on your tennis racquet or tightening your bike brakes so that when you squeeze them, they give less, keeping your grip more open.
Try a course of anti-inflammatory medication such as ibuprofen, if you don’t have any other medical problems such as asthma or a stomach ulcer that would cause side-effects.
Some topical creams/gels can be helpful, but if not sure please consult your pharmacist/GP regarding use of any medications or ointments.
Ice or heat may also be helpful and should be applied for about 20 minutes every 2-3 hours.
After an initial rest period, start to gradually strengthen the muscles around your wrist and elbow to help get back to normal activity.
Elbow pain can often be well managed with a combination of lifestyle modification and exercise to maintain strength and flexibility. Painkillers and sometimes steroid injections can be useful during a flare-up.
Please visit this page for exercises for elbow pain: https://www.csp.org.uk/conditions/elbow-pain/video-exercises-elbow-pain
You can also make use of the following exercises where appropriate:
- Tennis elbow lateral epicondylitis programme - word document or PDF
- Elbow mobility programme - word document or PDF
- Elbow resistance band exercises - word document or PDF
It is important to know that most common causes of elbow pain get better naturally over time. Be patient though as this can take several months.
Adjusting your activities to deal with elbow pain can help with pain.
How to adjust your activities with elbow pain
The natural reaction when in pain is to completely stop activities that aggravate the symptoms.
It is much better to continue to use your elbow, just try to adjust how you do things to make it more comfortable. This may mean doing jobs in short bursts with regular breaks rather all in one go.
Sometimes wearing a brace can help reduce pain if you have tennis or golfer’s elbow. If the pain is more severe, try to reduce strenuous activity but take simple painkillers like paracetamol.
Make sure to keep the elbow moving to prevent it from stiffening up.
Physiotherapists are experts in diagnosing and treating joint and muscle problems. You should receive a thorough examination after discussing your symptoms. Often a diagnosis can be made without the need for any x-rays or scans, but these can sometimes be recommended.
In most cases a custom exercise programme will be prescribed for your specific problem.
In some cases, you may be referred to see a specialist or surgeon if the problem is more significant or has failed to improve with treatment.
When should you self refer?
Most elbow pain will settle naturally in time with little or no help, but occasionally you may need some extra help to get your elbow better. Most people do not need further treatment or investigations, and your physiotherapist is ideally placed to advise if you do. If the above self-help information is not improving your symptoms within 6-8 weeks or if your symptoms are getting worse, then see a healthcare professional. To do this, you will need to fill in our self referral form.
Please find below information on elbow conditions and some other useful information:
The information on this page is adapted from: https://