Why Does My Elbow Hurt When Gripping Objects?

Reviewed by Tomas Diaz, MD

Emergency Medicine

Pain when gripping objects typically comes from inflamed or injured tendons in the elbow.

Explanation

When you feel pain while gripping objects, it's usually due to tendinopathy—inflammation or irritation of the tendons around your elbow joint. This typically happens from repeating the same motions too often or overusing your forearm muscles, particularly when gripping or twisting. The two most common conditions are tennis elbow, which affects the outside of the elbow, and golfer's elbow, which affects the inside. You can treat mild cases by resting your elbow and applying ice to reduce inflammation. If the pain continues, you should see your healthcare provider to discuss additional treatment options.

(References)

Long L, Briscoe S, Cooper C, et al. What is the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of conservative interventions for tendinopathy? An overview of systematic reviews of clinical effectiveness and systematic review of economic evaluations. Southampton (UK): NIHR Journals Library; 2015 Jan. (Health Technology Assessment, No. 19.8.) Chapter 1, Background.
Welsh P. Tendon neuroplastic training for lateral elbow tendinopathy: 2 case reports. J Can Chiropr Assoc. 2018 Aug;62(2):98-104. PMID: 30305765; PMCID: PMC6173218.
Kwapisz A, Prabhakar S, Compagnoni R, Sibilska A, Randelli P. Platelet-Rich Plasma for Elbow Pathologies: a Descriptive Review of Current Literature. Curr Rev Musculoskelet Med. 2018 Dec;11(4):598-606. doi: 10.1007/s12178-018-9520-1. PMID: 30255288; PMCID: PMC6220004.

Tell your friends about us.

We would love to help them too.

For First Time Users

What is Ubie’s Doctor’s Note?

We provide a database of explanations from real doctors on a range of medical topics. Get started by exploring our library of questions and topics you want to learn more about.

Learn more about symptoms

Elbow pain

Not sure about the cause of your current symptoms?

Try our AI-based symptom checker

With an easy 3-min questionnaire, you can get a free AI-powered report on possible causes

Tips to try:

Provide specific, detailed info about all symptoms you have.
Give accurate information about yourself including current conditions.
Answer all follow-up questions

Purpose and positioning of servicesUbie Doctor’s Note is a service for informational purposes. The provision of information by physicians, medical professionals, etc. is not a medical treatment. If medical treatment is required, please consult your doctor or medical institution. We strive to provide reliable and accurate information, but we do not guarantee the completeness of the content. If you find any errors in the information, please contact us.