Golfers elbow is a completely different disorder than tennis elbow medial epicondylitis more commonly referred to as golfers elbow is discomfort or irritation occurring on the inner side of the arm and elbow that is caused by activities that require repeated flexing or twisting of the wrist for example anything that requires you to bend your wrist downward or overuse your forearm muscles. While many people are familiar with the names of these conditions there is less widespread understanding about how they differ both tennis elbow or lateral epicondylitis and golfers elbow or medial epicondylitis are injuries to the tendons attaching your forearm muscles to the bone at your elbow. Tennis elbow and golfers elbow are both overuse injuries that are caused activities that requires repetitive motion of the arm and wrist the difference between the two conditions lies in where the elbow is inflamed learn the causes symptoms and helpful tips for treating them both both tennis elbow and golfers elbow are forms of epicondylitis an inflammation of tendons that attach to the elbow tennis elbow affects the lateral or outside epicondyle. Golfers elbow is a condition that causes pain where the tendons of your forearm muscles attach to the bony bump on the inside of your elbow the pain might spread into your forearm and wrist golfers elbow is similar to tennis elbow which occurs on the outside of the elbow its not limited to golfers