Can I keep training while my elbow hurts?

Usually yes, with grip and range changes. Switching to a neutral grip, reducing range or changing bar type keeps the session going while the tendon settles. Taking months off and returning to the same load is what tends to fail.

Do cortisone injections work?

They reduce pain in the short term and are associated with worse outcomes at twelve months than loading programmes. That is a conversation for you and your doctor, but it is worth knowing the longer-term picture before you decide.

Tennis and golfer's elbow treatment in Las Vegas

Why the brace has
not been enough.

Tennis elbow and golfer's elbow are the same problem on opposite sides of the joint, and most people who self-diagnose pick the wrong one. Which side it is changes what you load and how you grip. Graded loading of the wrist and forearm, then grip, then the positions you actually use.

Book appointment (702) 389-1950

A man gripping a barbell at his hips while his physical therapist coaches him in the clinic gym

Which one you have

Outside of the elbow, worse gripping or lifting with the palm down: lateral, tennis elbow
Inside of the elbow, worse gripping with the palm up or on pull-ups: medial, golfer's elbow
Both get worse with repeated gripping, and neither needs a racket to develop

A physical therapist and a patient talking through an exercise in the clinic gym

Why the brace has not been enough

A strap changes where load goes through the tendon and can take the edge off. It does not make the tendon any more capable, so symptoms return the moment the strap comes off or the load goes up. It is a useful short-term tool inside a loading plan.

What we do

We also look upstream at the shoulder and mid-back, because a shoulder that cannot control the arm pushes more work to the elbow.

Frequently asked questions

Can I keep training while my elbow hurts?
Usually yes, with grip and range changes. Switching to a neutral grip, reducing range or changing bar type keeps the session going while the tendon settles. Taking months off and returning to the same load is what tends to fail.
Do cortisone injections work?
They reduce pain in the short term and are associated with worse outcomes at twelve months than loading programmes. That is a conversation for you and your doctor, but it is worth knowing the longer-term picture before you decide.

More in performance physical therapy: rotator cuff rehab; tendinopathy and tendonitis rehab; return to sport testing and rehab; and shoulder impingement rehab.

Tennis and golfer's elbow treatment for patients from Las Vegas, Spring Valley, North Las Vegas, Summerlin South, Summerlin and Summerlin West, at our clinic at 7381 Prairie Falcon Rd, Ste 110, Las Vegas.

Book a free 15-minute call