Elbow Pain, Tennis Elbow & Golfer’s Elbow Treatment in Glendale, AZ

Does your elbow hurt when you grip, lift, carry, swing a golf club or racquet, or throw? At Muscle Chiropractic in Glendale, AZ, Dr. Tim Ballitch examines your elbow, wrist and related movement before recommending care. Tennis elbow and golfer’s elbow are common causes, but elbow pain can come from other sources too.

Choose the right visit

• Already a patient? Book an Existing Patient Visit — $67, even for a new elbow problem.
• New to Muscle Chiropractic and want an evaluation and chiropractic care (ages 12+)? Book a New Patient Visit — $154.13: about 30 minutes, with your history, an exam and an adjustment when appropriate. See what to expect.
• Only want an opinion on shockwave? Book a $52 Shockwave Consultation: about 15 minutes of history and examination to decide whether shockwave fits. It is assessment only and does not include an adjustment or a shockwave treatment.

Prices shown are credit card prices. A cash discount is available when paying at the time of service.

Questions first? Call or text 480-740-9619.

Tennis elbow, golfer’s elbow and other causes

• Tennis elbow (lateral elbow pain): pain on the outside of the elbow when you grip, lift with your palm down or twist, such as turning a doorknob. Despite the name, it is common in people who never play tennis.
• Golfer’s elbow (medial elbow pain): pain on the inside of the elbow with gripping, throwing or bending the wrist.
• Other causes: an irritated nerve (for example, numbness or tingling toward the ring and little fingers), joint problems, referred pain from the neck, or a tendon injury after a sudden heavy lift. That is why Dr. Tim examines you first instead of assuming every sore elbow is tendinitis.

How Dr. Tim evaluates elbow pain

Your visit starts with your history: when the pain started, what makes it worse, your work, training or sport, and anything you have already tried. Dr. Tim then checks how your elbow and wrist move, how your grip and forearm muscles tolerate load, and where it is tender. He also looks at related areas such as your neck, shoulder and wrist, and checks for nerve symptoms. He explains what he finds and whether care here makes sense, or whether imaging or another provider is a better first step.

Care options Dr. Tim may recommend

Your plan depends on your exam and how you respond. It may include:

• Exercise and load changes: forearm and grip strengthening that is built up gradually, plus practical changes to lifting, tool use, swing or throwing volume while the elbow settles.
• Soft tissue care: hands-on muscle release and IASTM (instrument-assisted soft tissue work, also called muscle scraping) for the forearm.
• Adjustments of the elbow or wrist, and of the neck or upper back, when your exam shows a joint that isn’t moving well.
• Class IV laser therapy when Dr. Tim thinks it fits your plan.
• Radial shockwave therapy (radial pressure waves) for some persistent elbow tendon pain, as a separate service, only after Dr. Tim decides you are a suitable candidate. It is not a first choice for tennis elbow, and not everyone with elbow pain needs it. A single session is $103.50 (credit card price).

Corrective exercise for tennis and golfer’s elbow

Gradual strengthening is usually central to elbow tendon care. Dr. Tim chooses and progresses it based on your exam and how your elbow responds. Depending on what he finds, you may be shown:

• Forearm strengthening, often starting with steady holds and progressing to slow lifting and lowering of a light weight: the wrist extensors for tennis elbow, the wrist flexors for golfer’s elbow.
• Grip and forearm rotation work as the elbow tolerates more load.
• Shoulder and upper back strengthening when your exam shows they affect how you grip, lift, swing or throw.
• Load changes: adjusting lifting, tool use, swing or throwing volume while the tendon settles.

Dr. Tim shows you how to do each exercise and how much discomfort is acceptable, then rechecks and adjusts the plan at follow-up visits. Exercises are individualized, so check with him before starting a program on your own. How corrective exercise fits into chiropractic care.

What the research shows

For tennis elbow, a randomized trial found that a program of elbow mobilization with movement plus exercise helped more than wait-and-see at six weeks. By one year most people in both groups had improved, and corticosteroid injections, while helpful at first, had worse long-term results with frequent recurrence (Bisset et al., BMJ, 2006). A Cochrane review of nine placebo-controlled trials found little or no benefit from shockwave for tennis elbow (Buchbinder et al., Cochrane Database Syst Rev, 2005). Golfer’s elbow has been studied much less, so care is guided by your exam and how you respond. Elbow tendon pain often takes weeks to months to settle, and no treatment works for everyone.

When to see a medical provider first

Seek prompt medical care if you felt a sudden pop or snap followed by weakness or bruising, can’t fully bend or straighten your elbow after a fall or injury, have significant swelling, redness, warmth or fever, or have numbness or weakness in your hand. Dr. Tim will refer you to your physician or for imaging when that is the better route.

See it on Instagram

• Watch shockwave therapy on the elbow for tendon pain (short reel).
• Watch shockwave therapy on a pitcher’s elbow (short reel).

Common questions

Do I need shockwave?

Not necessarily. Many elbow problems are managed with exercise, soft tissue work and changes to how you load the arm. Shockwave is considered for some persistent cases after an assessment.

Do I have to stop lifting or playing completely?

Usually not. Dr. Tim will suggest what to modify and how to build back up.

Do I need an X-ray or MRI first?

Not usually. Most elbow pain is assessed from your history and exam. Dr. Tim will recommend imaging or a referral if something suggests it.

Do you take insurance?

Muscle Chiropractic is cash-based. HSA and FSA cards are accepted, and receipts with procedure codes are available.

Visit us in Glendale

Our only office is at 7155 W. Campo Bello Dr., Building B, Suite B-115, Glendale, AZ 85308. Patients also come from nearby Peoria, Surprise and across the West Valley. Hours and directions · Choose your visit · Call or text 480-740-9619.

Related care: Tendon pain overview · Shockwave therapy · Shoulder pain · Sports chiropractic · Conditions we treat