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Elbow Pain Treatment in Canberra
Helping You Move Beyond Elbow Pain
Elbow pain is a common musculoskeletal problem that can affect everyday activities such as lifting, carrying, gripping, typing, opening jars, exercising, or playing sport.
While some elbow pain develops after a specific injury, many cases develop gradually over time due to repetitive loading, tendon overload, joint irritation, or nerve sensitivity.
Understanding where your pain is located, what activities aggravate it, and what factors may be contributing can help guide an accurate assessment and appropriate management plan.
Where Do You Feel Elbow Pain?
While pain location alone cannot diagnose a condition, understanding where you feel elbow pain can provide useful clues during assessment and help identify the most likely contributors to your symptoms
1. Pain On The Outer Side Of The Elbow
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This may be associated with:
- Lateral Elbow Tendinopathy (Tennis Elbow)
- Radial Tunnel Syndrome
- Referred pain from the neck or shoulder
- Gripping
- Lifting
- Gym training
- Racquet sports
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Commonly aggravated by:
2. Pain On The Inner Side Of The Elbow
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This may be associated with:
- Medial Epicondylitis (Golfer’s Elbow)
- Flexor-pronator tendon irritation
- Ulnar Collateral Ligament irritation
- Cubital Tunnel Syndrome
- Pull-ups
- Carrying
- Heavy gripping
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Commonly aggravated by:
3. Pain At The Back Of The Elbow
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This may be associated with:
- Triceps tendon irritation
- Olecranon bursitis
- Joint irritation
- Direct trauma
- Pull-ups
- Bench press
- Leaning on the elbow
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Commonly aggravated by:
4. Numbness Or Tingling Into The Ring & Little Finger
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This may be associated with:
- Cubital tunnel syndrome
- Ulnar nerve irritation
- Prolonged elbow bending
- Phone use
- Sleeping with elbow flexed
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Commonly aggravated by:
Common Questions About Elbow Pain
1. Why Did I Get Tennis Elbow although I don't play tennis
Despite its name, most people with Tennis Elbow have never played tennis. The condition is usually related to how much load the tendon is being asked to tolerate rather than participation in tennis itself.
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Commonly associated activities:
- Computer work
- Gym training
- Gardening
- Manual labour
- Tool use
- Carrying children
- Repetitive gripping tasks
2. Do I Need An MRI Or Ultrasound?
Not always. Many elbow conditions can be assessed through a detailed history and physical examination.
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Imaging may be considered when:
- Significant trauma has occurred
- Symptoms persist despite appropriate care
- The diagnosis is unclear
- Significant nerve involvement is suspected
- Surgical opinion is being considered
3. Should I Stop Going To The Gym?
Not necessarily. Complete rest is often not required.
Many people can continue exercising by temporarily modifying aggravating movements while gradually rebuilding strength and load tolerance.
4. Is Elbow Pain Always Caused By Inflammation?
Not necessarily. Current research suggests that many persistent elbow tendon problems are better understood as tendinopathy rather than a simple inflammatory condition. This means factors such as tendon capacity, loading history, strength, movement patterns, and pain sensitivity may all contribute to symptoms.
5. Why Does My Hand Feel Numb As Well?
Numbness or tingling into the ring and little finger may occur when the ulnar nerve becomes irritated around the elbow. This is commonly seen in Cubital Tunnel Syndrome and should be assessed if symptoms are persistent or worsening.
What Can Influence Elbow Pain?
Elbow pain is not always caused by a single injury or damaged structure. Current research suggests that symptoms are often influenced by multiple factors.
1. Repetitive Loading
Repeated gripping, lifting, carrying, typing, racquet sports, gym training, manual work, or tool use can place stress on the tissues around the elbow.
2. Sudden Changes In Activity
Starting a new exercise program, increasing training volume, returning to work after a break, or spending an entire weekend gardening can sometimes exceed the capacity of the tissues to tolerate load.
3. Shoulder And Scapula Function
The shoulder and shoulder blade help transfer force through the arm. Weakness or poor control in these areas may increase stress on the elbow during daily activities and sport.
4. Sleep, Stress And Recovery
Poor sleep, high stress levels, and inadequate recovery may influence pain sensitivity and affect how symptoms are experienced.
5. General Health Factors
Smoking, obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol, and some health conditions may influence tendon health and recovery. Understanding these factors allows treatment to focus not only on the painful area but also on the contributors that may be slowing recovery.
When Should I Seek Medical Attention?
Medical assessment may be recommended if you experience:
Significant swelling, redness, or heat around the elbow
A fall or traumatic injury
A suspected fracture or dislocation
Progressive numbness or weakness in the hand
Loss of grip strength
Unexplained weight loss, fever, or feeling generally unwell
Symptoms that continue to worsen despite appropriate care
How Can We Help With Elbow Pain?
At Motion Wellness Chiropractic, we focus on helping you understand why your elbow pain developed and what can be done to improve it.
1. Thorough Assessment
✔ Detailed history
✔ Movement assessment
✔ Strength assessment
✔ Orthopaedic test
✔ Neurological test
✔ X-ray if indicated
We assess the elbow, wrist, shoulder, neck, grip strength, movement patterns, tendon loading, and potential nerve involvement.
2. Understanding your condition & Making sense of your pain
We explain what we find in simple language so you understand what may be contributing to your symptoms and what recovery may involve.
Understanding what is contributing to your symptoms can help reduce uncertainty and improve confidence in recovery.
3. Treatment
Hands-on care
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Chiropractic adjustment
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Joint mobilisation
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Stretching muscles
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Soft tissue techniques
Hands-on care may help reduce pain, improve mobility, and make movement more comfortable.
Rehabilitation Exercise
Facilitating recovery and building strength and confidence in movement with long-term resilience
Research consistently supports exercise as an important part of managing many hip conditions.
Lifestyle Guidance
Addressing sleep, stress, diet, misbelief, and daily habits that help recovery
Reference
Adani, N., Azalia, X., Gani, K.S., Mitchel, M. and Kholinne, E., 2025. Non-traumatic Medial-Sided Elbow Pain: A Comprehensive Review of Etiologies, Diagnostic Strategies, and Treatment Approaches. Cureus, 17(10), e94701.
Anderson, D., Woods, B., Abubakar, T., Koontz, C., Li, N., Hasoon, J., Viswanath, O., Kaye, A.D. and Urits, I., 2022. A Comprehensive Review of Cubital Tunnel Syndrome. Orthopedic Reviews, 14(3).
Coombes, B.K., Bisset, L. and Vicenzino, B., 2015. Management of Lateral Elbow Tendinopathy: One Size Does Not Fit All. Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy, 45(11), pp.938–949.
Day, J.M., Lucado, A.M. and Uhl, T.L., 2019. A Comprehensive Rehabilitation Program for Treating Lateral Elbow Tendinopathy. International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy, 14(5), pp.818–829.
Graf, A., Ahmed, A.S., Roundy, R., Gottschalk, M.B. and Dempsey, A., 2023. Modern Treatment of Cubital Tunnel Syndrome: Evidence and Controversy. Journal of Hand Surgery Global Online, 5, pp.547–560.
Karbowiak, M., Holme, T., Thambyrajah, J. and Di Mascio, L., 2023. Management of Lateral Epicondylitis (Tennis Elbow). BMJ, 383, p.e075407.
Lucado, A.M., Day, J.M., Vincent, J.I., MacDermid, J.C., Fedorczyk, J., Grewal, R. and Martin, R.L., 2022. Lateral Elbow Pain and Muscle Function Impairments: Clinical Practice Guidelines Linked to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health. Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy, 52(12), pp.CPG1–CPG111.
Nyman, E. and Dahlin, L.B., 2024. The Unpredictable Ulnar Nerve—Ulnar Nerve Entrapment from Anatomical, Pathophysiological, and Biopsychosocial Aspects. Diagnostics, 14(5), 489.
Singh, H.P. and Watts, A.C., 2023. BESS Patient Care Pathway: Tennis Elbow. Shoulder & Elbow, 15(4), pp.348–359.
Tahir, A., Chanian, N., Tiwana, S., Sahu, M.A. and Blackwell, J., 2026. Medial Epicondylitis: A Review of Clinical Presentation, Diagnosis, and Management in the United Kingdom. Cureus, 18(1), e102264.
