Forearm tendonitis is inflammation of the tendons of the forearm. The forearm is the part of your arm between the wrist and elbow. Tendons are soft bands of connective tissue that attach muscles to bones. They allow joints to flex and extend. When tendons get irritated or injured, they become inflamed. That causes tendonitis.

Symptoms

The most common symptom of forearm tendonitis is inflammation. This feels and looks like pain, redness, and swelling in the forearm. Forearm tendonitis may cause symptoms in or around your elbow, wrist, and hand.

Additional symptoms of forearm tendonitis include:

  • warmth
  • weakness or loss of grip
  • throbbing or pulsing
  • burning
  • stiffness, often worse after sleeping
  • severe pain when attempting to use the wrist, elbow, or forearm
  • inability to bear weight on the forearm, wrist, or elbow
  • numbness in the wrist, hands, fingers, or elbow
  • a lump on the forearm
  • a grating feeling when moving the tendon

Diagnosis

Your doctor will ask questions about your symptoms, like when and how they started and what activities improve or worsen your symptoms. They’ll also review your medical history and examine the forearm and surrounding joints.

If your doctor suspects tendonitis, they may use diagnostic imaging tests to confirm the diagnosis. Tests may include an X-ray or MRI.

Home remedies

Treating tendonitis at home generally involves:

  • immediate and continual use of RICE therapy
  • use of over-the-counter (OTC) anti-inflammatory and pain medications
  • progressive stretching and strengthening exercises

RICE therapy

RICE stands for rest, ice, compression, and elevation. RICE therapy can slow blood flow to the site of the injury. That helps reduce inflammation and promote recovery.

Rest

The forearm is involved in many different motions. It’s used in most activities and sports in some way. It can be tricky to stop using the forearm tendons entirely. It’s easy to mistakenly use them.

Consider restricting the movement of the full forearm, elbow, or wrist to help rest the area. You can use:

  • braces
  • splints
  • wraps

Ice

Gently apply an ice pack wrapped in a cloth or towel to the forearm for 10 minutes, followed by a 20-minute break, several times throughout the day. Icing is especially effective after the forearm has been heavily used or inactive, like before bed and first thing in the morning.

Compression

Many different sleeves and wraps are designed to compress either the full forearm or segments of it. Depending on the severity of symptoms, compression devices can either be worn for a few hours or left on for several days to weeks, except to bathe or sleep.

Elevation

Keep the forearm raised at a level above the heart to reduce blood flow to it. Some people find it helpful to rest the forearm on a pillow while sitting or sleeping or to use a sling while walking and standing.

OTC remedies

Several OTC medications may help relieve symptoms, including:

  • anti-inflammatory and pain medications, like ibuprofen (Advil), acetaminophen (Tylenol), and naproxen sodium (Aleve)
  • anesthetic creams, sprays, or lotions with numbing chemicals like lidocaine and benzocaine
  • naturopathic anesthetic creams, tonics, or sprays with plant-based painkillers or numbing agents, like capsaicin, peppermint, menthol, or wintergreen

Stretches and exercise

Several stretches can help slowly stretch and strengthen inflamed or injured tendons.

Downward wrist stretch

  1. Extend the arm outward with the palm and fingers facing down.
  2. If step 1 doesn’t cause too much pain, use the opposite hand to slowly and gently pull the hand backward or toward the forearm.
  3. Hold for 15 to 30 seconds.

Weight curls

  1. In a seated position, hold 1- to 3-pound weights with the forearms resting on your thighs.
  2. Slowly flex or bend the forearm at the elbow, drawing the hands toward your body as far as is comfortable.
  3. Return your hands to a resting position on the thighs.
  4. Repeat this exercise three times in sets of 10 to 12 reps

Massage balls or foam roller

  1. Using whatever pressure level feels comfortable, slowly roll the tissues of the forearm over the ball or foam roller.
  2. If you hit a particularly painful or tender spot, stop and slowly apply additional pressure to the spot, holding for 15 to 30 seconds.
  3. Reduce pressure and continue rolling the forearm from the palms all the way up to the bicep.

Rubber band stretch

  1. Loop a small rubber band or resistance band between the thumb and forefinger so that it’s fairly tight.
  2. Slowly extend the thumb and forefinger outward and away from each other, so you form a “V” shape with the finger and thumb.
  3. Slowly return the thumb and forefinger to their initial position.
  4. Repeat 10 to 12 times, three times in a row.

Treatment

Your doctor may prescribe physical therapy or pain management medications for severe, long-term, or disabling cases of forearm tendonitis.

Other treatments your doctor may recommend include:

  • massage therapy
  • physiotherapy
  • prescription-strength anti-inflammatory and pain medications
  • corticosteroid injections
  • acupuncture, acupressure, or electrostimulation therapy
  • rolling and myofascial release techniques
  • extracorporeal shock wave therapy

You may need surgery to repair the injury if you have a significant tear or tissue damage. Your doctor may also recommend surgery for severe or long-term tendonitis that doesn’t respond to other therapy.

Recovery

For minor cases of tendonitis, you may need to rest your arm for a few days. Inflammation should go away after two to three weeks of basic care.

Severe or long-term cases of tendonitis often require complete rest of the forearm for a few days. You’ll also need to avoid activities that irritate the tendon for several weeks or months.

If you need tendonitis surgery, you’ll likely need to rest the arm for several months following surgery. You’ll also work with a physical therapist or occupational therapist to learn rehabilitative exercises.

Anything that activates the tendons can worsen tendonitis pain. Certain motions are more likely to cause or increase your symptoms.

Movements to avoid when recovering from forearm tendonitis include:

  • throwing
  • hitting
  • lifting
  • typing
  • texting
  • holding a book or tablet
  • pulling

Certain habits, such as smoking, and foods can also increase inflammation. Inflammation-causing foods include:

  • refined carbohydrates, like white bread or pasta
  • processed meats
  • soft drinks
  • alcohol
  • fried foods
  • red meat
  • processed snack foods like chips, candy, and chocolate

Following a well-balanced, nutritious diet may improve your recovery.

Prevention

Follow the safety precautions for specific activities, work, or sports to prevent forearm tendonitis from occurring.

The best way to prevent tendonitis caused by repetitive or intense overuse is to recognize the signs of the condition early and treat them.

Avoid actions that irritate or use the forearm tendons if you begin to notice symptoms of this condition. That can keep the condition from getting worse.

Practicing the stretches recommended during forearm tendonitis recovery may also reduce the likelihood of severe or long-term inflammation.

Outlook

Forearm tendonitis is a common condition. It often resolves following a few weeks of rest and basic care. Severe or long-term cases of tendonitis can be disabling and take months of medical treatment and therapy to fully recover from.

The best way to treat forearm tendonitis is:

Surgery may be needed if other methods to treat the condition fail, or if you have significant damage to the tendon. Talk to your doctor about any concerns.