Could Acupuncture Help Your Elbow Pain?
Wondering why your elbow pain won't go away? Whether you're suffering from tennis elbow, arthritis, bursitis, or another condition, pain may linger or might come and go for weeks or months. Acupuncture, a traditional Chinese medicine therapy, could relieve your pain and speed healing.
What Causes Elbow Pain?
Elbow pain can be caused by:
- Arthritis. Any form of arthritis, including osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, can damage the elbow joint, causing inflammation, pain, and swelling.
- Tennis Elbow. Lateral epicondylitis, or tennis elbow, affects about 2 percent of the population and most often occurs in people between 40 and 60, according to the National Library of Medicine. The condition inflames tendons on the outside of the elbow, triggering pain that may extend into the arm and upper arm, forearm, and hand.
- Golf Elbow. Golf elbow, or medial epicondylitis, inflames tendons in the inner side of the elbow. Both golf and tennis elbow are caused by repetitive movements, such as repeatedly swinging a golf club or hammer or using a computer.
- Bursitis. Bursitis affects the bursae in the elbow joint, the small, fluid-filled sacs that help the joint move smoothly. Overuse, infections, and injuries can inflame the bursae, causing bursitis symptoms.
- Injuries. Elbow pain may also be caused fractures, dislocations, and muscle strains, or sprains.
Treating Elbow Pain with Acupuncture
If you're feeling frustrated by your elbow pain, acupuncture could help you manage your symptoms and finally find lasting relief. Treatments can be used in addition to standard medical treatments.
Acupuncturists use thin needles inserted at specific points in the body during treatments. Treatments are essential for the normal flow of Qi, an invisible energy that travels throughout the body in pathways called meridians. Qi keeps your body balanced and helps you maintain good health.
Acupuncture treatments offer several benefits for elbow pain, including:
- Natural Pain Relief. Endorphin production increases during acupuncture treatments. Endorphins are hormones that ease pain and improve your mood.
- Reduced Inflammation. Lingering inflammation can lead to pain and stiffness in the elbow joint, whether you have tennis elbow, golf elbow, bursitis, fractures, muscle strains, or sprains. Acupuncture controls your body's response to inflammation and reduces cytokines, proteins that cause inflammation.
- Looser Muscles. Tight muscles around the elbow joint can lead to irritation and pain. Treatments relax muscles and decrease pressure on tendons.
- Better Mobility. Inflammation and swelling stiffen your elbow, making it difficult or uncomfortable to remove a bottle cap or swing a racquet. Acupuncture treatments calm inflammation and swelling, improving the range of movement in your elbow.
- Improved Nerve Function. Nerve irritation is common after injuries, fractures, or conditions that occur due to repetitive movements. Acupuncture reduces irritation, restores normal nerve function, and decreases pain.
- Increased Blood Flow. Restricted blood flow following an injury prevents healing nutrients from reaching your elbow. Acupuncture treatments improve blood flow and speed healing of damaged tissues.
Does Acupuncture Really Work?
Several research studies have shown that acupuncture is an effective treatment for elbow pain. A study published in Computational and Mathematical Methods in Medicine in 2022 evaluated the effects of acupuncture on a group of athletes with elbow pain. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans revealed that bone marrow swelling and fluid buildup around the elbow decreased after treatments. Patients also experienced a significant improvement in range of motion.
Acupuncture improved elbow movement after a fracture in a case report published in Acupuncture and Electro-Therapeutics Research in 2025. A 30-year-old man with an elbow fracture could only bend his elbow 30 degrees when his cast was removed. The man received traditional acupuncture treatments and "sinews and bones" needle therapy for six weeks. Sinews and bones needle therapy is a type of acupuncture that targets tights muscles, tendons, and ligaments. After acupuncture treatment, the man's range of motion improved to 120 degrees.
Elbow pain doesn't have to limit your activities. All-natural acupuncture offers an effective treatment for elbow pain and stiffness. Contact our office to schedule your acupuncture appointment.
Sources:
National Library of Medicine: Overview: Tennis Elbow, 6/15/2022
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK506998/
Computational and Mathematical Methods in Medicine: The Effect of Acupuncture on Elbow Joint Sports Injuries Based on Magnetic Resonance Imaging, 4/4/2022
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9001099/
Acupuncture and Electro-Therapeutics Research: International Journal of Integrated Medicine:
Acupuncture in Combination With “Sinews and Bones” Needle Therapy for the Treatment of Early Posttraumatic Nonossifying Elbow Stiffness: A Case Report, 8/19/2025
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/03601293251367475
WebMD: Elbow Pain: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatments, 5/23/2024