Why You’re Experiencing Aching Wrists and Elbows — and How PT Can Help

If you’ve been noticing a dull ache in your wrists, a sharp twinge at your elbow, or a heavy, tired feeling through the whole forearm, you’re not alone. Wrist-to-elbow pain is one of the most common issues we see at Sparq Physical Therapy, especially among office workers, tennis and pickleball players, golfers, and anyone dealing with repetitive strain or overuse.

These aches can creep in slowly or flare up out of nowhere — suddenly typing, lifting a mug, gripping a racquet, or even holding your phone feels uncomfortable. And while it’s tempting to ignore the discomfort and hope it goes away, early intervention makes a huge difference in both healing and preventing long-term problems.

Today, we’re breaking down why you might be experiencing aching wrists and elbows, what’s actually happening in the tissues, and how physical therapy can help you get lasting relief.

Common Reasons You’re Feeling Pain from Wrist to Elbow

Wrist and elbow pain often stems from overload in the muscles, tendons, and nerves that run through the forearm. Here are the most common culprits:

1. Repetitive Strain from Office or Computer Work

If you spend long hours typing, using a mouse, or gripping a phone or tablet, the small muscles of your forearm work overtime. Over time this can lead to:

• Tendon irritation

• Muscle fatigue

• Nerve sensitivity

• Reduced blood flow

  
  

Even something simple like resting your elbows on a hard desk surface can compress sensitive tissues.

2. Tendinitis and Overuse Injuries (Tennis Elbow & Golfer’s Elbow)

Sports like tennis, pickleball, and golf require repetitive gripping and swinging — a perfect recipe for overloading the forearm tendons.

• Tennis elbow causes pain on the outside of the elbow.

• Golfer’s elbow causes pain at the inside of the elbow.

• Both can cause pain that radiates down toward the wrist.

These are classic overuse injuries, and without proper rehab, they can linger for months.

3. Weakness or Imbalances in the Shoulder & Core

It sounds unrelated, but it’s all connected. When your arms do more work than your trunk, the smaller muscles of the wrist and elbow absorb forces they weren’t designed to handle.

This shows up most often in:

• Recreational athletes

• New gym-goers

• People returning to activity after injury

Your body compensates, and the wrists and elbows pay the price.

4. Nerve Irritation or Compression

When a nerve gets irritated, you may feel:

• Burning

• Tingling

• Shooting pain

• Aching that spreads from wrist to elbow

Nerves can become sensitive from tight muscles, poor posture, or inflammation in surrounding 

5. The Grip You Use All Day Matters

Whether you’re lifting weights, carrying kids, gardening, or gripping a steering wheel, your forearm muscles are constantly at work. If they're not conditioned for the volume or load you're placing on them, pain can creep in quickly.

How Physical Therapy Helps Wrist & Elbow Pain Heal — Faster

Most wrist and elbow pain responds incredibly well to targeted, personalized PT. At SparqPT, we take a whole-body approach because your symptoms are rarely just about the wrist itself.

Here’s what rehab typically includes:

1. A Thorough Assessment to Identify the Real Source

We’ll look at:

• Wrist and elbow mobility

• Grip strength

• Posture and desk ergonomics

• Shoulder stability

• Movement patterns

• Tendon irritation or nerve involvement

Understanding why your wrist or elbow is hurting helps us build an effective treatment plan — not just a temporary fix.

2. Hands-On Soft Tissue Work & Joint Mobilization

Manual therapy helps reduce pain and improve mobility by addressing stiffness or tension in key areas like:

• Forearm flexors and extensors

• Wrist joints

• Elbow joints

• Neural tissue pathways

Most people feel immediate relief as tissues move more smoothly and efficiently.

3. Strengthening the Right Muscles — Not Just the Sore Ones

We strengthen:

• Wrist stabilizers

• Forearm flexors & extensors

• Grip muscles

• Shoulder stabilizers

• Core

This reduces the workload on irritated structures and helps prevent pain from coming back.

4. Guided Tendon Loading Programs

For tendinitis, the research is clear: tendons heal best when loaded correctly — not rested indefinitely.

We’ll build a progressive loading plan that helps your tendon tolerate daily activities again, without flare-ups.

5. Ergonomic Coaching & Habit Shifts

Small changes make a big impact:

• Mouse and keyboard setup

• Grip modifications for racquets or golf clubs

• Posture cues

• Movement breaks

• Ways to reduce forearm tension throughout the day

Your office setup and daily habits can either support or sabotage your recovery, and we’ll make sure you have a plan that works for your routine.

When to See a Physical Therapist

If your pain:

• Has lasted longer than two weeks

• Feels worse with gripping, typing, lifting, or sports

• Radiates from your wrist to elbow

• Is sharp, nagging, or progressively worsening

• Is limiting your everyday activities

…it’s time for a professional evaluation.

Early treatment prevents chronic issues and gets you back to your normal activities quickly and safely.

You Don’t Have to Live With Wrist or Elbow Pain

At SparqPT, we help active adults, office workers, and recreational athletes get out of pain and back to doing what they love. Wrist and elbow pain is incredibly treatable — it just needs the right plan, the right loading progression, and the right guidance.

If your wrists or elbows have been aching, stiff, or just not feeling quite right, we’d love to help.

👉 Schedule an appointment at SparqPT.com and start feeling better this week.

Let’s get you back to moving with confidence — pain-free.