Are Your Work Habits Creating Elbow Pain? Preventing Tennis and Golfer's Elbow

Do you experience a dull ache or sharp pain in your arm after a long day at your desk? Many people don't realize that repetitive daily tasks can strain the delicate tendons in your arm. This strain often leads to common repetitive motion injuries that affect your daily productivity and comfort.

At Orthopedic Institute of Fort Worth, our orthopedic specialists help patients across North Texas evaluate and treat arm, elbow, wrist, and hand pain. With locations in Fort Worth, Southlake, and Weatherford, Texas, we offer orthopedic evaluation, imaging, physical therapy, and individualized treatment plans.

Understanding tennis elbow and golfer's elbow

Tennis elbow and golfer's elbow are repetitive strain injuries that cause pain on the outer and inner sides of the elbow, respectively. Despite their sports-themed names, both conditions can also develop from work-related or everyday repetitive movements.

According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information (2025), about 2% of the population experiences tennis elbow, while less than 1% develops golfer's elbow. These symptoms most frequently strike adults between the ages of 40 and 60 who perform continuous daily tasks.

How your daily work habits trigger pain

Your daily routine might be placing excessive stress on your forearm tendons without you even realizing it. Repeated gripping, lifting, twisting, typing, mouse use, or tool use can overload the forearm muscles and tendons over time, especially when you do the same motion for long periods without enough rest.

Research from the Mayo Clinic indicates that performing forceful wrist and finger bending movements for two or more hours a day is a specific, measurable risk factor for occupational golfer's elbow. Your risk may be higher if your work involves repeated gripping, lifting, wrist bending, tool use, or other repetitive arm movements for long periods.

Simple steps to prevent workplace elbow pain

You can protect your joints by making a few simple adjustments to your daily work environment. Small ergonomic changes may help: keep your wrists in a neutral position, avoid gripping tools or a mouse too tightly, keep frequently used items within reach, take short movement breaks, and adjust your workstation so your shoulders, elbows, and wrists are not held in awkward positions.

The most critical initial step in managing early symptoms is activity modification, which often means resting the irritated tendon, reducing or changing the movements that trigger symptoms, and gradually returning to activity as pain improves, as noted by Johns Hopkins Medicine (2025). 

Taking regular breaks and stretching your wrists throughout the day can keep your tendons flexible and healthy. If you're already experiencing persistent elbow pain, don't try to push through the discomfort, as this can worsen the underlying tissue damage. 

Depending on your symptoms, your treatment may include activity modification, bracing, anti-inflammatory medication when appropriate, stretching and strengthening exercises, physical therapy, imaging, injections, or other orthopedic care.

Contact our office today to schedule a consultation at one of our North Texas locations.