Elbow, Wrist & Hand

What It Is

Radial tunnel syndrome isn't as well known as carpal tunnel syndrome, but it can cause a nagging pain on the outside of the elbow that stretches down into the forearm (Cleveland Clinic, n.d.). It happens when tightness and swelling in the radial tunnel put too much pressure on the radial nerve (Cleveland Clinic, n.d.). Over time, it can weaken the forearm muscles and wrist strength, making it harder to grip or lift things (Cleveland Clinic, n.d.). Treatment is usually non-surgical, and rest and medical treatment relieve symptoms within about six weeks for most people (Cleveland Clinic, n.d.). However, some people do not improve with non-surgical treatment, and surgery might then be needed to reduce the pressure on the nerve (Levina and Dantuluri, 2021).

Radial tunnel syndrome is sometimes confused with tennis elbow, as both cause pain in the same area, and the two conditions can occur together (Levina and Dantuluri, 2021; Engin et al., 2023). It should also not be confused with carpal tunnel syndrome, which is compression of the median nerve at the wrist. Radial tunnel syndrome typically does not cause numbness or tingling in the fingers (Engin et al., 2023).

In radial tunnel syndrome the nerve is compressed around the elbow and upper forearm, compared with the wrist in carpal tunnel syndrome.

Radial Tunnel Syndrome Anatomy

As the name suggests, the nerve that becomes trapped or compressed is the radial nerve. To be specific, it is a branch of the radial nerve called the posterior interosseous nerve (Levina and Dantuluri, 2021). Day to day activities that can contribute to this include repeating the same motions over and over (such as typing or using a screwdriver), push-and-pull movements such as throwing, excessive gripping, pinching or bending of the wrist, and a direct, hard blow to the outside of the elbow or forearm (Cleveland Clinic, n.d.). Poor posture when using a computer and keyboard may also play a part.

The radial tunnel is about 5 cm long. It starts at the elbow joint, where the radius meets the upper arm bone (humerus), and runs down to the supinator muscle in the upper forearm, where the nerve passes under a band of tissue known as the arcade of Frohse (Levina and Dantuluri, 2021). If there is thickening or tightness in this area, the nerve can become compressed. The radius is the forearm bone on the thumb side, and the part of it at the elbow is known as the radial head.

Not a diagnosis — for more information, contact me or another trusted healthcare provider.

Treatment

Self-Care & Treatment

How to Treat Radial Tunnel Syndrome

1. Posture and Work Ergonomics

Checking your work position and desk set-up can be very helpful. If your job is causing your symptoms, you may need to change your work set-up or take more breaks during the working day (Cleveland Clinic, n.d.).

2. Stop Repeated Activities

The best way to treat this condition is to stop, or greatly reduce, the activity causing your symptoms, rest your arm and avoid movements that cause pain (Cleveland Clinic, n.d.). Look at your work or hobbies and see if there is anything you are doing repeatedly which might be causing the compression.

3. Physical Therapies

Physical therapy exercises can help stretch and loosen the tight muscles and tissues around the radial nerve (Cleveland Clinic, n.d.). I can guide you through a stretching and strengthening programme for your forearm, with hands-on work to ease the tight muscles around the nerve. See the My Approach tab for how I work.

It also helps to

Avoid heavy push-and-pull movements where possible (Cleveland Clinic, n.d.).
If you play sport, do strength and flexibility exercises and always warm up properly before playing or practising (Cleveland Clinic, n.d.).

Treatments you may want to discuss with your family doctor or nurse practitioner

Options outside my scope

Splint: a wrist and/or elbow splint, often worn at night, may be recommended to reduce movement and irritation of the radial nerve (Cleveland Clinic, n.d.; Engin et al., 2023). I can help you work out whether a splint might help and how to get one, and point you to a doctor or physiotherapist if you need one fitted.
Steroid injection: an injection of a steroid medicine to relieve inflammation and pressure on the radial nerve (Cleveland Clinic, n.d.; Engin et al., 2023).
Surgery: an operation called a radial tunnel release, which takes the pressure off the nerve where it passes through the radial tunnel. It is usually only recommended if rest and non-surgical treatment have not worked (Cleveland Clinic, n.d.; Levina and Dantuluri, 2021).

How I can help (see the My Approach tab)

Hands-on work to ease the tight forearm muscles around the nerve
Stretching and strengthening exercises, with a home programme
Advice on your work set-up and the activities that flare it

Tips

See a healthcare provider if you have pain in your elbow and forearm. Symptoms are unlikely to improve without treatment and can get worse over time (Cleveland Clinic, n.d.).
Ask me whether ice would help you, and I can show you how to use it safely at home.
Stretching and strengthening exercises can help reduce some of the effects of repeated stress (Cleveland Clinic, n.d.). I can show you which ones to do.

Treatment

My Approach

Radial tunnel syndrome is a squeezed nerve in the upper forearm, often linked to tight, overworked forearm muscles and repeated gripping, twisting or push-and-pull tasks. My aim is to take pressure off the nerve, ease the muscles around it and help you change the habits that keep it irritated.

Which path we take depends on your symptoms

If you have aching pain on the outside of the elbow and forearm, but your grip and wrist strength are normal, I can treat you directly.
If you have weakness lifting your wrist or fingers, a grip that keeps getting weaker, or numbness or other nerve symptoms that are getting worse, see your family doctor or nurse practitioner first. Once you've been assessed, I can support your medical team's plan. After surgery, I need your surgeon's okay before any hands-on treatment.

I start by assessing your elbow, forearm, wrist and neck, checking sensation, reflexes and strength, and how the nerve responds to movement. Radial tunnel syndrome and tennis elbow can happen together, so I check for both.

Hands-On Treatment

Massage, trigger point and myofascial work for the forearm muscles the nerve passes between, with no firm pressure directly over the nerve
Work for the upper arm, shoulder and neck, so we treat along the whole path of the nerve
Gentle nerve glides if they ease your symptoms; any tingling should fade as soon as we stop
Warm applications in the clinic to help tight muscles relax

Exercise and Self-Care

Stretching for the forearm muscles, then gradual strengthening for the wrist, forearm and grip, with a home programme between visits
A look at your desk set-up, tools and posture, and ways to break up repetitive gripping and twisting
Warm-ups and a graded return to sport or the gym, including lifting technique if you train

What to Expect

Typical Course

Typical course: Most people come once or twice a week at first, then weekly, with a reassessment at about 4 to 6 weeks, then less often as you manage more on your own. In milder cases, most people improve within about six weeks. If you needed medical treatment or surgery, recovery usually takes longer and follows your medical team's plan.

What I Focus On

Assessment

Forearm Muscle Release

Gentle Nerve Work

Stretch & Strengthen

Work Set-Up & Activity Changes

Sources

References

Cleveland Clinic (n.d.) Radial tunnel syndrome. Available at: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/15658-radial-tunnel-syndrome (Accessed: 8 October 2026).
Levina, Y. and Dantuluri, P.K. (2021) 'Radial tunnel syndrome', Current Reviews in Musculoskeletal Medicine, 14(3), pp. 205–213. doi: 10.1007/s12178-021-09703-w. Available at: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8137767/ (Accessed: 7 October 2026).
Engin, M.Ç., Demirel, M., Kahraman, A. et al. (2023) 'Orthopedic management of radial tunnel syndrome: a diagnostic and treatment dilemma', Eurasian Journal of Medicine, 55(1), pp. 59–63. doi: 10.5152/eurasianjmed.2023.22274. Available at: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10081130/ (Accessed: 7 October 2026).

Massage therapy · Kitchener–WaterlooRadial Tunnel Syndrome

What It Is

Radial Tunnel Syndrome Anatomy

Self-Care & Treatment

How to Treat Radial Tunnel Syndrome

1. Posture and Work Ergonomics

2. Stop Repeated Activities

3. Physical Therapies

Treatments you may want to discuss with your family doctor or nurse practitioner

Tips

My Approach

Hands-On Treatment

Exercise and Self-Care

Typical Course

References

Related Conditions

Book a session

Massage therapy · Kitchener–WaterlooRadial Tunnel Syndrome

What It Is

Radial Tunnel Syndrome Anatomy

Self-Care & Treatment

How to Treat Radial Tunnel Syndrome

1. Posture and Work Ergonomics

2. Stop Repeated Activities

3. Physical Therapies

Treatments you may want to discuss with your family doctor or nurse practitioner

Tips

My Approach

Hands-On Treatment

Exercise and Self-Care

Typical Course

References

Related Conditions

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Cubital Tunnel Syndrome

Cyclist's Palsy

Guyon's Canal Syndrome

Book a session