Inner elbow pain with pulling or swinging
Pull ups, throwing, golf swings and heavy carries bring it on, especially when you bend the wrist or turn the palm down against resistance.
Golfer’s elbow hurts on the inside of the elbow, and tennis elbow hurts on the outside. Golfers and tennis players are only some of the people who get them. Climbers, lifters, people carrying small children and anyone who mouses all day get them too.
On the inner side, the forearm flexors and pronators are usually involved. On the outer side, it is the wrist extensors and supinator. Pain flares when those muscles are asked for more than they are ready for. Common triggers are a jump in training, a new desk setup, or more racquet time. Tension in the shoulder and neck can add to it.
I treat both with dry needling, a form of acupuncture, directed at the side that hurts. At the inner elbow, flexor carpi ulnaris can crowd the ulnar nerve as it passes between the muscle’s two heads. At the outer elbow, the supinator and wrist extensors can do the same to the radial nerve. Releasing those muscles is meant to give each nerve more space.
The usual sequence is rest, a brace, anti-inflammatories, and sometimes an injection from sports medicine or orthopedics. These can ease a flare, but they don’t change how much load the forearm tolerates once the brace comes off. Imaging may show tendon changes that don’t line up with your symptoms. Many people have also had physical therapy, where needling wasn’t an option, because New York doesn’t let physical therapists or chiropractors dry needle.
I ask which side hurts, what sport or work you do, and whether your volume changed recently. Then the exam:
Your orthopedist, sports medicine doctor or physical therapist stays part of the picture. Should my findings suggest you check in with one of them, I’ll let you know and share what I found.
Location is the main clue. Golfer’s elbow hurts on the inner side and flares when you bend the wrist or turn the palm down against resistance. Tennis elbow hurts on the outer side and flares when you lift the wrist back or grip with the palm facing down.
Both, when the exam points there. The shoulder blade, upper back and neck often add to elbow strain. I treat whatever reproduces your pattern and keeps it going.
Usually it combines two targets: the overworked forearm muscles and any muscle crowding the ulnar or radial nerve. Easing the flexor or extensor group also lowers pressure on the nerve passing through it. That tends to make gripping and strength work more tolerable.
Not always, but a structured tendon loading program often helps, especially for athletes and climbers. I’m glad to work alongside your physical therapist or sports medicine clinician.
Usually, with changes to volume and grip. The exam shows which positions provoke the pain, and I’ll help you plan around them while the elbow settles.
Get prompt medical care for significant swelling, redness or fever. Weakness that is progressing, worsening numbness, unexplained night pain, or an injury that stops you using the arm also need evaluation first.
Adults with pelvic floor, nerve and orthopedic pain, along with neurological conditions. Most of my patients come to me after other care hasn't fully settled things. If you're looking for general wellness acupuncture, I'm not the right fit.
We review your history and what you've already tried. I assess the muscles and nerves involved, and you're treated the same day.
It depends on the condition. Pelvic and orthopedic plans usually run 4 to 6 weeks. Neurological plans are usually 2 visits a week for 6 weeks or 3 a week for 4. After that, visits space out so the changes hold. These are typical timelines, not promises.
Yes. I work alongside doctors, physical therapists and specialists. If something I find needs a closer look from one of them, I'll tell you.
I'm an out-of-network provider. You pay at the time of your visit, and my office submits the claim so any reimbursement comes to you. Free benefit checks are available before your first visit through the verification form, and HSA and FSA cards work. I don't take Medicare or Medicaid, though some Medicare Advantage plans reimburse out-of-network care. Full insurance details
Yes. I treat adults, teens and children, though I don't specialize in infants or toddlers.
Yes. Book a free discovery call to ask your questions and see whether we're a good fit.
Dry needling is a form of acupuncture. Fine needles go into tight bands of muscle and trigger points to lower muscle tension and change how the area is signaling.
You may feel a brief twitch or a deep ache as the needle reaches tight muscle. It passes quickly, and any soreness afterward usually fades within a day or two.
It's generally safe with a properly trained practitioner. Needles are sterile and single-use, and I check your health history first, including blood thinners. In New York, dry needling can only be performed by licensed acupuncturists, MDs and DOs. Physical therapists and chiropractors aren't permitted to perform it.
Eat something light beforehand and wear loose clothing that lets me reach the area being treated.
Usually not. Ultrasound helps in a few specific cases, but it hasn't been shown to improve results for common trigger points. A careful hands-on exam is what guides the needle. More on ultrasound-guided dry needling
Dry needling aimed at the pelvic floor and the hip and abdominal muscles around it, for pain, tension and urinary symptoms driven by those muscles and their nerves. More on pelvic floor dry needling
Sometimes, depending on the muscles involved, and you'll be draped throughout. Treatment always follows your consent and comfort. I don't do internal exams or internal treatment.
No, though it helps if you've already seen a doctor or pelvic floor physical therapist. Bring any notes or imaging you have.
Completely. I've heard it all, and there's no judgment here, just a straightforward conversation so we can treat what's going on.
Yes, I treat adults of every gender and identity. After gender-affirming surgery involving the pelvis, bring your surgical notes and we'll decide together what fits.
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118 W. 72nd St, Rear Lobby, New York, NY 10023
Evidence-based acupuncture and dry needling on the Upper West Side. From chronic pain and headaches to pelvic floor dysfunction, Dr. Jordan Barber pairs the highest level of training with care that actually listens.
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