How Daily Use Sets the Stage for Elbow and Wrist Pain

Pain rarely comes out of nowhere.
Across this Joint Pain Series, we look at common pain patterns throughout the body and how everyday use, old injuries, and quiet compensation shape the way pain shows up over time. Each entry focuses on one area, not to isolate it, but to better understand how the body adapts until something starts to hurt.
Check out the Master Post: here.

To continue with our Joint Pain series, next we’re going to talk about Elbow and Wrist Pain.  People with elbow pain can have what’s referred to as either Golfer’s Elbow or Tennis elbow.  And the wrist pain I see is usually related to carpal tunnel, or specifically thumb pain.  All of these issues are common for people who use their hands and arms all day, either as typing/texting, or working with tools, or other types of repetitive motions.

Golfer’s Elbow

You don’t have to play golf to get golfer’s elbow. It usually shows up after lots of gripping, lifting, or twisting.  Pretty much anything that makes the muscles on the inside of your forearm work overtime.  The pain is felt on the inside of the elbow. It comes from straining the muscles that help you grip, curl, or flex your wrist. These are the same muscles you use when you pick up a heavy grocery bag, grip a tool, lift weights with your palms facing up, or twist open a jar.

Over time, those repetitive motions can pull on the tendon at the inside of the elbow and create soreness or inflammation.  At first it might just feel sore, but over time it can turn into a deep ache that makes even simple tasks like pouring coffee or picking up a bag uncomfortable. This type of pain often means the tendons are inflamed and need a chance to recover. With care and a little patience, it’s absolutely possible to calm things down, loosen the tension, and get your arm back into functionality.

Tennis Elbow

Repetition doesn’t always hurt right away.
It adds up over time.

Tennis elbow isn’t just for athletes, it’s one of the most common overuse injuries from everyday life. Typing, lifting, or even holding your phone for long periods can cause strain in the elbow. With tennis elbow, the pain is on the outside of the elbow. It happens when the muscles that straighten or extend your wrist become irritated. You use these muscles when you reach forward, type or use a mouse, hold your phone for long periods, or use a screwdriver or paint roller. These actions tighten the tendons on the outer part of the elbow.

It often starts as a twinge that’s easy to ignore, then turns into that sharp, nagging pain every time you reach or grab something. The good news is that once you are in treatment and also give those tendons a chance to rest and heal we can get you relief and get you back into functionality.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Carpal tunnel can sneak up on you, maybe your fingers start tingling, or your hand goes numb when you’re on your phone or typing. It can be frustrating, especially when it starts interrupting sleep or daily tasks. What’s really happening is that the nerve running through your wrist is being compressed, often from swelling or tension built up over time. Addressing this early through treatment makes a big difference. We have specific protocols, life style suggestions and additional modalities that we use to address functionality.  Once pain and circulation improves and the pressure eases, the hand often feels lighter, warmer, and more responsive again. It’s one of those conditions where even small improvements can make big changes to your day-to-day life.

Thumb Pain

Our opposable thumbs are what make us human, they’ve allowed us to create art, build homes, and shape the world around us. But in the modern age, those same thumbs spend hours on phones and keyboards instead of holding, making, or connecting. That repetitive strain can quietly wear down the joint, causing inflammation and discomfort that reminds us how much we rely on these small but mighty parts of our body.

During treatment we work to address both the local pain and surrounding muscular/functional imbalance in or up that particular muscle chain.  Many patients notice relief not only in their elbows or wrists, but also an overall sense of ease through the entire arm.  We also discuss daily habits, posture, and ergonomic changes to help prevent the pain from returning.

Strain doesn’t stop at the arms.
Next, we look at how compensation builds into lower back pain.