How to Fix Tennis Elbow or Golfers Elbow Naturally

Do you participate in seasonal recreational activities? Do you have a labor-intensive job that involves lifting heavy objects on a routine basis? If so, you may have experienced tennis elbow or golfer’s elbow. These are common injuries caused by overuse and exertion of the wrist and forearm.

Tennis elbow, known as lateral epicondylitis, involves the muscles and tendons of the forearm that extend all the way to the wrist and fingers. Symptoms of the condition are gradual, most notably mild pain that slowly worsens over time. Other symptoms include:

• Weak grip
• Pain on the outer part of the elbow
• Burning sensation

Golfer's elbow, known as medial epicondylitis, involves the muscles located on the inside of the elbow and forearm. The condition is caused by wear and tear of the tendons, bones, and muscles in the area, as well as overuse.

Golfer's elbow is known to cause pain and tenderness near the funny bone along with reduced grip strength.

While surgery is an option for fixing the most severe cases of tennis and golfer’s elbow, there are simple, non-invasive options as well. Here are some of the most effective ways to fix these conditions naturally.

Wrist stretches

Simple yet effective stretches can have a huge impact on the pain and discomfort you feel. Stretching can also help your muscles and tendons to heal and strengthen, which prevents reinjury.

For tennis elbow:

1. Hold your arm out in front of you with your palm facing down
2. Using your other hand, gently pull your hand and fingers back towards you
3. Hold for 30 seconds and then relax
4. Repeat the stretch 3-5 times

This technique stretches the forearm. If you experience any pain during the stretch, pull your hand and fingers more gently.

For golfer’s elbow:

1. Hold your arm out in front of you with your palm facing up
2. Using the other hand, gently pull your hand and fingers towards your body
3. Hold for 30 seconds and then relax
4. Repeat the stretch 3-5 times

Both of these stretches can (and should) be repeated throughout the day. Though they seem simple, they are quite impactful for tennis and golfer’s elbow.

Other exercises to try

Wrist exercises

Wrist extension is a common range of motion exercise for tennis elbow. Here are two exercises to try.

Wrist flexion

1. Put your forearm flat on a table’s surface with your palm facing up
2. Ensure your elbow is at the edge of the surface
3. Gently extend your wrist and lift it off the table, moving it towards the ceiling
4. Repeat 5-10 times

Wrist extension

1. Put your forearm flat on a table’s surface with your palm facing down
2. Ensure your elbow is at the edge of the surface
3. Gently extend your wrist and lift it off the table
4. Repeat 5-10 times

For both of these exercises, you can add weight, such as a soup can or water bottle. This adds resistance and adds a strengthening element.

Grip strengthening

Both tennis and golfer’s elbow can cause your grip to weaken. Try this exercise to increase your grip strength.

1. Hold a stress ball in your hand
2. Squeeze gently, holding for five seconds
3. Relax and then hold for another five seconds
4. Repeat 10-15 times

Strengthening the forearm and wrist

This exercise is known as the hammer exercise. As the name implies, you’ll need a hammer or a very light dumbbell.

1. Rest your elbow flat on a table’s surface, keeping it at 90 degrees
2. Hold the handle of the hammer
3. Slowly rotate the hammer towards the center of your body
4. In rotating the hammer, turn your palm downwards
5. Reverse the motion by rotating the hammer outwards, with your palm facing up
6. Rest briefly
7. Repeat 10-15 times

Try RICE

Aside from certain stretches and exercises, another option to fix tennis elbow or golfer’s elbow naturally is to reduce or stop activities that cause the pain. This may mean taking a break from recreational sports or asking to be put on light duty at work.

The idea is to rest your wrist and forearm so that they can heal. Continued overuse and over-exertion of your arm can worsen the problem.

Practice RICE (rest, ice, compression, and elevation) as much as possible. Icing can help to reduce pain, discomfort, and swelling. Wearing a compression or stability brace also helps while providing added support.

Take supplements

There are all sorts of vitamins, supplements, and herbal remedies that can help to speed up the healing process for those with tennis or golfer's elbow. Some of the best options to add to your daily treatment regimen include:

• Vitamins A, B, C, and D
• Anti-inflammatory herbs (ie. turmeric, ginger, and bromelain)
• Joint supplements
• Fish oil
• Collagen supplements

Each of these supplements are safe, effective natural treatments for tendonitis. While supplements aren’t cures, they work to strengthen the muscles, tendons, and bones while also relieving the side effects of tennis and golfer’s elbow. 

Try Align Integrated Medical

Our approach is all about targeting the underlying causes of tennis elbow or golfer’s elbow versus just treating the symptoms. This type of strategy involves various approaches, including regenerative medicine, chiropractic care, progressive focused rehab and massage therapy.

The combination of these treatments helps to address what’s actually causing the condition, which makes it much easier to pinpoint the right treatment regimen. At Align Integrated Medical, you can count on our team to get your forearm and wrist back into tip-top health.

We create customized treatment regimens for all of our patients. Our goal is to help you get back to living a healthy, pain-free life. Imagine going to work or playing your favorite sport without discomfort.

Interested in learning more about how fundamental medicine can benefit you? Contact our team today!