If you’re a pickleball player and have ever dealt with elbow pain, you know how disruptive it can be. It won’t just keep you from gripping your paddle, it can make everyday tasks like opening a jar or a door downright painful. Too many people suffer with a “tennis elbow”-type injury for years, when the right management strategy can restore full function to the arm.
What causes pickleball elbow?
Pain in the arm after playing pickleball is usually lateral epicondylitis, more commonly known as pickleball elbow or tennis elbow, the number one cause of outer-elbow pain in pickleball players. It’s usually caused by small micro-tears in the elbow’s tendons from incorrect form when hitting the ball, overuse of the forearm muscles during a match, or too many backhand shots with the wrong technique.
Pickleball elbow vs. tennis elbow
The two are very similar: both cause pain on the outside of the elbow that can travel down the forearm to the wrist, and both involve the wrist extensor muscle group. If the pain is on the inside of the elbow instead, that’s usually “golfer’s elbow,” involving the wrist flexors rather than the extensors.
Lateral epicondylitis implies an inflammatory response at the site of injury, which typically resolves within a few weeks. When pain persists beyond that window, it’s considered lateral epicondylalgia: the inflammatory cycle has passed, and you’re left with a weakened tendon. That distinction matters, because each stage of recovery should be treated differently.
Can I get it without playing pickleball or tennis?
Yes. We see many people develop elbow pain after overworking their forearms in other ways, like a weekend of yard work or gardening that places a lot of strain on the wrist extensor tendon. You can absolutely get “tennis elbow” without ever having picked up a racket or paddle.
Symptoms to watch for
Soreness or weakness in the forearm or elbow, sharp or burning pain on the outside of the elbow, stiffness, reduced range of motion, pain when gripping or lifting, and point tenderness on the outer elbow.
When you're most at risk
If you increase the demand on a muscle group beyond its capacity, an injury is more likely. How often and how long you play matters: ramping up from two days a week to five increases the load your body has to sustain, and that’s often when symptoms start.