Are You Struggling with Elbow Pain?
Real relief for tennis elbow, golfer's elbow, and nerve-related forearm pain. From an Active Release Technique specialist with 18 years of experience.
Elbow pain has a way of quietly taking over: a sharp twinge when you shake someone's hand, an ache that flares every time you pick up a coffee mug or swing a club, a grip that just isn't as strong as it used to be. If you've rested it, iced it, and it keeps coming back, there's usually a reason. Most elbow pain isn't a joint problem. It's a soft tissue and nerve problem, and that's exactly what we treat at Adair Chiropractic.
Elbow Pain That Won't Ease Up Isn't Something You Just Live With
You've adjusted how you carry things. You wince when you shake hands. Maybe it's a sharp pain on the outside of your elbow when you grip anything, or a dull ache on the inside that flares every time you swing a club or throw a ball. You've tried a brace, rest, maybe an over-the-counter anti-inflammatory, and it eases up just enough to make you think it's gone, then comes right back the first time you use your arm normally.
Here's what most people don't know: the tendons that attach to the elbow are doing constant, repetitive work every time you grip, twist, lift, or swing. When those tendons and the nerves running past them don't get a chance to fully recover, they develop scar tissue and adhesions. That's what turns a one-time strain into pain that lingers for months.
The problem isn't your elbow. It's the tissue around it, and that's fixable.
What's Actually Causing Your Elbow Pain?
Most elbow pain falls into a few categories, and all of them respond well to the kind of work we do:
Tennis Elbow (Lateral Epicondylitis): Irritation of the tendons on the outside of the elbow, caused by repetitive gripping, typing, tool use, or racquet sports. It shows up as pain when gripping, lifting, or even shaking hands, and the name is a bit misleading since most people who get it have never picked up a racquet.
Golfer's Elbow (Medial Epicondylitis): The mirror-image condition on the inside of the elbow, from repetitive wrist flexion and forearm rotation. Common in golfers, throwing athletes, and anyone doing repetitive lifting or swinging motions at work.
Ulnar Nerve Entrapment (Cubital Tunnel Syndrome): The ulnar nerve runs through a narrow tunnel at the inside of the elbow, and it can become compressed by scar tissue or tightened tissue nearby. This produces tingling and numbness in the ring and pinky fingers, plus a weaker grip, and it's one of the primary targets of Active Release Technique.
Overuse Tendinopathy and Elbow Bursitis: Repetitive leaning, pressure, or overload on the elbow joint that inflames the tendons or the bursa (a small fluid-filled cushion), creating swelling and tenderness that gets worse with continued use.
Who does best with chiropractic care for elbow pain? Golfers, tennis and pickleball players, tradespeople who grip tools all day, desk workers who type constantly, new parents carrying a baby, and anyone whose elbow pain is tied to repetitive movement rather than a traumatic injury requiring surgery.
Why Active Release Technique Is Different for Elbow Pain
Most elbow treatments focus on rest, bracing, or anti-inflammatories. These can dull the symptoms. But they don't address why the tendons and nerves became irritated in the first place, and that's why the pain so often returns the moment you go back to normal activity.
Active Release Technique (ART) is a patented, movement-based manual therapy that targets the muscles, tendons, fascia, and nerves directly. Here's how it works for the elbow:
During an ART session, Dr. Adair applies precise tension to the forearm extensor or flexor tendons while you move your wrist and arm through a specific range of motion. This combination breaks down the adhesions and scar tissue that build up around the epicondyle and along the path of the ulnar and radial nerves. The result: less tension on the irritated tendon, freer nerve movement, and pain that actually resolves instead of just quieting down for a while.
Dr. Karla Adair has been ART-certified since 2006, making her one of the longest-tenured ART providers in The Corridor. She graduated with honors from Palmer College of Chiropractic (2006) and has spent 18+ years applying ART specifically to athletes and active adults dealing with overuse injuries of the arm. Dr. Sellers, D.C. (Palmer 2021, B.S. Exercise Science, University of Iowa) brings additional exercise science expertise to support your recovery and return to your sport or work.
Effective Solutions for Elbow Pain Relief
Step 1 — Assessment
Step 2 — Treatment
Step 3 — Movement and Recovery Plan
What Life Looks Like After Elbow Pain Treatment
When the underlying tendon and nerve issues are addressed rather than just managed, the changes are noticeable fast:
- Grip strength comes back. Shaking hands, opening jars, and carrying groceries without a wince.
- You play without bracing for pain. Golf, tennis, pickleball, and lifting without the swing or grip changes you've been making to work around it.
- Typing and desk work stop being a source of dread by 2pm.
- The cycle stops. Instead of "it gets better, then comes back," you address the root cause and move forward.
- You know what's happening in your body. Our patients leave with a real understanding of why their elbow hurt and what to do if it starts to flare again.
Most of the athletes, tradespeople, and desk workers who come to us have already tried rest, bracing, and ice. ART works for them because it targets what rest can't fix: the accumulated tendon and nerve irritation that's been building for months or years.
Frequently Asked Questions
Most patients begin to feel a meaningful difference within 4 to 6 visits. Acute strains often respond faster. Chronic tennis elbow or golfer's elbow that's been building for months or years may take longer to fully resolve. We'll give you an honest assessment at your first visit based on what we find.
No referral is needed. If you have recent imaging (X-ray, ultrasound, or MRI) of your elbow, bring it, as it's helpful context. But it's not required. We can assess functionally and determine whether imaging would add anything useful.
Yes, and it's more common than most people realize. The nerves that supply the forearm and elbow originate in the cervical spine and travel through the shoulder and brachial plexus, so irritation further up the chain can produce pain, tingling, or weakness that feels like it's coming entirely from the elbow. We evaluate the neck, shoulder, and elbow together to make sure we're treating the actual source of the problem, not just where you feel it.
Yes, when assessed properly. We evaluate the degree of tendon involvement before any treatment, and ART is a conservative, non-invasive approach that works with the tissue rather than forcing it. For tendinopathy and nerve entrapment, ART and soft tissue work are well-tolerated and often produce faster, more lasting relief than bracing or rest alone.
