Preventing elbow pain

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Why prevention matters

Elbow pain can turn simple tasks into a struggle. Lifting a pan, using a mouse, shaking hands, or holding a racquet can all feel sharp, weak, or achy. When pain hangs around, people often avoid using that arm, which can lead to stiffness, weaker muscles, and even more frustration over time^{1 2}.

The good news is that many common causes of elbow pain, like tendon irritation around the joint, often improve with the right mix of movement, strength, and smarter habits at work and in sport^{1 3}. Prevention is not about never using your arm. It is about managing load, building strength in the forearm and shoulder, and spotting early warning signs so small niggles do not grow into bigger flare ups^{1 4}.

For some people, especially those who do a lot of repetitive gripping or heavy manual work, elbow pain can come and go. Long term, keeping up regular movement, grip and shoulder strength, and healthy lifestyle habits can lower the chance of repeated bouts and help you stay active at work and in daily life^{2 5}.

Managing elbow pain: what can trigger flare-ups?

Triggers can be different for each person, but some patterns are common in elbow tendon-related pain, nerve irritation, and bursitis (inflammation of the fluid-filled sac behind the bone). You can use these as a checklist to notice what your elbow reacts to.

Prolonged gripping or typing: Holding tools, a mouse, or a phone for long periods without breaks can overload the tendons around the elbow, especially on the outside of the joint^{1 3}.
Sudden spikes in activity or load: Jumping into heavy lifting, yard work, or a new sport session after a quiet spell can irritate the tendons or ligaments, especially if the muscles are not ready for the load^{1 4}.
Repetitive wrist and forearm motions: Tasks like twisting screwdrivers, using vibrating tools, or long bouts of racquet sports can stress the muscle attachments on the outside or inside of the elbow^{1 2}.
Prolonged elbow positions: Keeping the elbow bent for a long time, like when holding a phone or sleeping with your arm tucked under you, can irritate the ulnar nerve (the "funny bone" nerve) and cause tingling in the ring and little fingers³.
Leaning on the back of the elbow: Resting your elbow on a hard surface for long stretches can irritate the olecranon bursa, a small fluid filled sac at the back of the joint, and may lead to swelling and soreness⁶.
Low general activity and deconditioning: When you move less, muscles in the forearm and shoulder can lose strength and endurance. This makes everyday loads feel heavier and can raise the chance of tendon overload^{1 4}.
Stress, poor sleep, and worry about pain: Ongoing stress and poor sleep can make pain feel more intense and can slow recovery from flare ups. Worrying about movement or avoiding it completely can also keep symptoms going longer^{4 7}.

Not everyone will have flare ups, but if you know your triggers, you can plan around them and respond early.

Did you know?

Most people improve without surgery. Many adults with lateral elbow pain get better with time, graded loading, and activity changes. Guidelines note that most cases improve over a few months with non surgical care, and surgery is only considered for people who do not improve after a long and structured rehab plan^{1 3}.
Rest alone is rarely the answer. Reviews of elbow treatments show that active programs using progressive exercise provide better long term outcomes than approaches that rely only on rest or passive treatments like heat or ultrasound^{4 8}.

Habits that help prevent flare-ups

Below are practical habits that can support healing and help reduce the chance of elbow pain flaring again. You do not need to change everything at once. Small, steady changes add up.
- Take regular movement breaks: Every 30 to 45 minutes, gently straighten and bend your elbow, open and close your hand, and roll your shoulders. Short movement breaks reduce the strain from long periods of gripping or typing and are recommended in work related elbow pain guidelines^{2 5}.
- Build forearm and shoulder strength slowly: Simple strengthening exercises for wrist movements, grip, and shoulder muscles, done a few times per week, help tendons handle daily loads better and may lower the risk of ongoing or recurrent elbow tendon issues^{1 4}. Start light and progress gradually rather than jumping to heavy loads.
- Watch your grip and lifting technique: When lifting, keep objects close to your body, use two hands when you can, and avoid twisting the wrist while gripping very tightly. Adjusting grip size and using both arms can reduce tendon load and is part of many successful treatment programs^{1 3}.
- Adjust your workspace and tools: Try to keep your keyboard, mouse, and work surfaces at a height where your elbows are near your sides and your wrists are in a relaxed, neutral position. Handle design, tool vibration, and awkward arm positions are known contributors to elbow problems at work, and improving your workstation can help reduce risk^{2 5}.
- Use a "traffic light" rule for pain: Mild discomfort (up to about 3 out of 10) during or after activity is usually acceptable, as long as it settles within 24 hours. Strong or sharp pain that lingers into the next day is a signal to scale back. This "pacing" approach is commonly used in evidence based exercise programs for elbow pain^{1 4}.
- Support recovery with sleep and stress care: Aim for regular sleep and simple stress management strategies, such as breathing exercises, brief walks, or short relaxation sessions. Programs that combine exercise with education and basic coping skills tend to have better long term results than exercise alone^{4 7}.
If you are unsure how to start, a physical therapist or digital coach can help you choose safe exercises and progressions that match your current stage.

How Sword supports ongoing strength and mobility

Move is a guided movement program designed to help you stay active by building strength, improving mobility, and supporting stable movement patterns over time. It’s often used after recovery from a flare-up to help maintain progress and support long-term movement health.

Sword offers movement support that fits into daily life, helping you continue building strength and mobility over time. Programs are guided by expert insight and supported by technology designed to help you stay consistent.

Focus on strength, mobility, and stability
Designed to support movement between flare-ups
Guided programs you can follow on your schedule
Non-invasive, evidence-informed approach

Clinical insight

Guidelines for lateral elbow pain recommend early education, load management, and progressive exercise rather than complete rest or quick reliance on injections. Keeping the arm moving within tolerable limits, while slowly building strength and endurance, leads to better long term pain and function than passive treatments alone^{1 4 8}.

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Footnotes

Lucado AM, Day JM, Vincent JI, MacDermid JC, Fedorczyk J, et al. Lateral Elbow Pain and Muscle Function Impairments: Clinical Practice Guideline. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2022;52(12):CPG1-CPG111. https://doi.org/10.2519/jospt.2022.0302.

Shiri R, Viikari-Juntura E, Varonen H, Heliövaara M. Prevalence and determinants of lateral and medial epicondylitis. Am J Epidemiol. 2006;164(11):1065-1074.

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Clinical Knowledge Summary: Tennis Elbow. Updated 2024. Available at: https://cks.nice.org.uk.

Karanasios S, Korakakis V, Whiteley R, et al. Exercise versus passive interventions for lateral elbow tendinopathy: Systematic review and meta analysis. Br J Sports Med. 2021;55(9):477-485.

Work-related Epicondylosis Guideline. Washington State Department of Labor & Industries. 2023.

Coombes BK, Bisset L, Vicenzino B. Efficacy and safety of corticosteroid injections and other injections for management of tendinopathy: Systematic review and meta analysis. BMJ Open. 2013;3:e003564.

Cochrane Review. Manual therapy and exercise for lateral elbow pain. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2024.

Cochrane Review. Autologous blood or platelet rich plasma injection for lateral elbow pain. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2020.

Pak SS, Janela D, Freitas N, Costa F, Moulder R, Molinos M, et al. Comparing Digital to Conventional Physical Therapy for Chronic Shoulder Pain: Randomized Controlled Trial. J Med Internet Res. 2023;25:e49236.

Cui D, Janela D, Costa F, Molinos M, Areias AC, Moulder RG, et al. Randomized-controlled trial assessing a digital care program versus conventional physiotherapy for chronic low back pain. NPJ Digit Med. 2023;6:121.