Elbow Pain Isn't Just for Tennis Players, It's a Sign of a Bigger Problem

If you've got elbow pain when lifting, working at your desk, or playing sports — but you're not a tennis or golf pro — you're probably wondering what's going on.

At Matterhorn Fit, we treat elbow pain not as an isolated injury, but as a sign of system-wide compensation. That nagging discomfort in your forearm or at the point of your elbow is often just the last stop in a much bigger pattern of dysfunction.

Here's what's really behind your elbow pain — and how the Matterhorn Method helps resolve it for good.

What's Really Causing Your Elbow Pain?

Whether it's labeled "tennis elbow" (lateral epicondylitis) or "golfer's elbow" (medial epicondylitis), the pain is usually described as inflammation of the tendons. But here's the truth:

Your elbow is rarely the problem — it's the victim.

Elbow pain often comes from:

• Compensations from old wrist or shoulder injuries
• Overuse due to poor scapular control
• Poor grip mechanics that overload the forearm muscles
• Neurological imbalances that shift tension to the elbow joint

The elbow gets blamed because that's where you feel it — but the real issue is often upstream in the shoulder, neck, or downstream in the wrist.

Why Rest and Ice Don't Fix It

Standard treatment for elbow pain includes:

• Rest from aggravating activities
• Ice and anti-inflammatory medications
• Elbow straps or bracing
• Local stretching and strengthening

These approaches might reduce symptoms temporarily, but they don't address the underlying compensation patterns that created the problem in the first place.

Without fixing the root cause, elbow pain tends to:

• Return when you go back to normal activity
• Migrate to the other arm
• Lead to shoulder or wrist problems

How the Matterhorn Method Fixes the Whole Chain

We don't just treat your elbow — we treat the entire kinetic chain that's putting stress on it.

Our approach includes:

1. Deactivate compensatory tension — especially in the neck, shoulder, and forearm
2. Reactivate scapular and core stabilizers — so your shoulder can support proper arm mechanics
3. Retrain grip and reaching patterns — reducing strain on the elbow during daily tasks

By addressing the whole system, we often see elbow pain resolve without ever directly treating the elbow itself.

Pro Tip: Nerve Glide for Elbow Relief

This gentle mobilization can help reduce neural tension that contributes to elbow pain.

How to do it:

1. Extend your affected arm out to the side at shoulder height
2. Start with your wrist flexed (fingers pointing down)
3. Slowly extend your wrist (fingers pointing up) while tilting your head away from your arm
4. Return to the starting position and repeat 10 times

This mobilizes the radial nerve and can provide immediate relief if neural tension is contributing to your pain.

Final Thoughts

Elbow pain isn't about your elbow — it's about how your whole arm works as a unit.

The Matterhorn Method treats the system, not the symptom, so you can get back to lifting, typing, and living without pain.

Book your evaluation today and find out what's really behind your elbow pain — and how to fix it for good.