Pickleball Elbow Pain Treatment in Metro Atlanta
Elbow Pain Shouldn’t Keep You Off the Court
Pickleball has taken metro Atlanta by storm. From the courts at East Cobb Park and Swift-Cantrell Park in Kennesaw to neighborhood recreation centers in Sandy Springs, Johns Creek, and Lawrenceville, more Georgians than ever are picking up a paddle. It’s a fun, social, and accessible sport — but the repetitive swinging, dinking, and gripping that make pickleball so addictive can also take a toll on your elbow.
If you’ve started to feel a nagging ache on the outside of your elbow after league night or your morning round-robin, you may be developing what players call “pickleball elbow.” The good news: it’s highly treatable, especially when caught early. The board-certified physicians at Atlanta Hand Specialist treat elbow, hand, and wrist conditions every day at eight convenient locations across metro Atlanta.
What Is Pickleball Elbow?
Pickleball elbow is the same condition as tennis elbow, known medically as lateral epicondylitis. It develops when the tendons that attach your forearm muscles to the bony bump on the outside of your elbow become irritated and develop small tears from repetitive stress. Every backhand, flick, and paddle grip engages these tendons, and over time — especially without proper rest or technique — they can become inflamed and painful.
Less commonly, players develop pain on the inside of the elbow, a related condition called medial epicondylitis or “golfer’s elbow.” Our physicians diagnose and treat both.
Common Symptoms
Pickleball elbow usually comes on gradually rather than from a single injury. Most patients describe pain or burning on the outer part of the elbow that worsens with activity, along with a weakened grip. You may notice discomfort when shaking hands, turning a doorknob, lifting a coffee cup, or gripping your paddle. Some players feel stiffness in the morning or tenderness when pressing on the outside of the elbow. If the pain lingers for more than a couple of weeks, becomes sharp, or starts interfering with everyday tasks, it’s time to see a specialist.
Why Pickleball Players Are Prone to Elbow Pain
Several factors common to pickleball put extra strain on the elbow. The sport’s quick, wristy shots at the kitchen line concentrate force in the forearm tendons. Many players — particularly those new to racquet sports — use paddles that are too heavy, grips that are too small, or technique that relies on the arm rather than the body. And because pickleball is easy to play often, many metro Atlanta players are on the court four or five days a week without giving the tendons time to recover. Players over 40, who make up a large share of Atlanta’s pickleball community, are especially susceptible because tendons naturally lose elasticity with age.
How Atlanta Hand Specialist Treats Pickleball Elbow
Most cases of pickleball elbow improve without surgery. After a thorough evaluation — with on-site radiology available for prompt diagnosis — your physician will build a treatment plan tailored to your symptoms, your goals, and how quickly you want to get back on the court.
Conservative treatment options may include activity modification and a structured rest period, anti-inflammatory medication, counterforce bracing or splinting, targeted hand and forearm therapy to stretch and strengthen the tendons, and corticosteroid injections for persistent pain. We’ll also talk through equipment and technique adjustments — like paddle weight and grip size — that can help prevent the problem from coming back.
For the small percentage of patients whose pain doesn’t respond to conservative care after several months, our fellowship-trained surgeons offer proven surgical options to remove damaged tendon tissue and relieve pain, with a focus on rapid recovery and a return to normal, active life.
Don’t Wait for the Pain to Sideline You
Elbow tendon injuries respond best to early treatment. Playing through the pain often makes the condition worse and can turn a few weeks of recovery into months.
Atlanta Hand Specialist makes it easy to be seen quickly, with same day appointments available and offices throughout metro Atlanta in Smyrna, Marietta, East Cobb, Canton, Douglasville, Sandy Springs, Johns Creek, and Lawrenceville. Wherever you play — Cobb, Cherokee, Fulton, Gwinnett, or Douglas County — there’s a location near your home court.
Ready to get back to pain-free pickleball? Call (770) 333-7888 or request an appointment online 24/7 at the Atlanta Hand Specialist location nearest you.
This page is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be medical advice.
