Pain Symptom
Elbow and Wrist Pain
By Dr. Anthony J. Gordon, Doctor of Acupuncture | Last reviewed September 2026
Your wrist aches with typing, lifting or pushing up from a chair, and your fingers tingle or go numb at night. The elbow may hurt too. Wrist symptoms often begin higher up the arm: tight forearm muscles, nerves pinched at the elbow, or even the neck. Dr. Gordon treats each link, from the neck down to the wrist.
Prefer to talk it through? Call (516) 597-5400. Most new patients are seen within one to two weeks.
Overview
Understanding Elbow and Wrist Pain
Wrist pain can come from tendons, such as De Quervain's tenosynovitis at the thumb side of the wrist, from the joints and cartilage of the wrist, and from nerves. Carpal tunnel syndrome, compression of the median nerve at the wrist, causes numbness and tingling in the thumb, index and middle fingers, often at night. Cubital tunnel syndrome, compression of the ulnar nerve at the elbow, causes tingling in the ring and little fingers.
The forearm muscles that attach at the elbow and control the wrist play a major role. When they are tight, they pull on the wrist tendons and can compress nerves along their path. The median nerve can also be compressed at the elbow and in the forearm, which mimics carpal tunnel. Neck problems can add to arm tingling, sometimes called a double crush.
Your physician may order nerve testing. Dr. Gordon treats the forearm, elbow and neck contributors to wrist pain and tingling.
Elbow and Wrist Pain at a Glance
Common sources
Wrist tendons, carpal tunnel, cubital tunnel, forearm muscles, neck
Thumb-side wrist pain
Often De Quervain's tenosynovitis
Thumb, index and middle finger tingling
Often median nerve involvement
Ring and little finger tingling
Often ulnar nerve involvement at the elbow
Common triggers
Typing, lifting, gripping, new parenthood, push-ups, yoga
The Gap in Care
What Tests Check, and What They Can Miss
Wrist tingling is often assumed to be carpal tunnel at the wrist. Compression higher up the arm and neck involvement are often overlooked.
What routine testing is looking for
- Fractures
- Ligament tears in the wrist
- Arthritis
- Severe nerve compression on testing
What often keeps symptoms going
- Tight forearm muscles pulling on wrist tendons
- Median nerve compression in the forearm
- Ulnar nerve irritation at the elbow
- Neck contributions to arm tingling
- Wrist and grip habits
These are found by tracing symptoms from the wrist up to the neck.
Signs & Symptoms
Does This Sound Like You?
Symptoms vary from person to person. These are the patterns Dr. Gordon sees most often.
Wrist pain with typing or lifting
Pain with repetitive or loaded wrist use.
Thumb-side wrist pain
Pain at the base of the thumb.
Numbness or tingling at night
Tingling fingers that wake you.
Elbow pain
Pain at the inner or outer elbow.
Weak grip
Dropping objects or weak pinch.
Pain pushing up
Pain with push-ups or pushing up from a chair.
Root Causes
The Four Drivers Dr. Gordon Looks For
Most people have more than one of these in play. Finding which one leads makes treatment more efficient.
Forearm muscle tension
Tight forearm muscles pull on wrist tendons.
Nerve compression
Median and ulnar nerves can be compressed at the wrist, forearm or elbow.
Tendon irritation
Wrist tendons become irritated with repetitive load.
Neck involvement
Neck irritation can add to arm symptoms.
Your First Visit
How Dr. Gordon Evaluates Elbow and Wrist Pain
The initial evaluation runs 60 to 75 minutes. You leave with a clear picture of what is driving your symptoms, a written plan, a realistic timeline, and in most cases your first treatment.
Records and history review
Dr. Gordon reviews your imaging, physician or physical therapy notes, medications and past treatments so he knows what has been ruled out and what has already been tried.
Wrist and tendon testing
Tests for wrist tendons and joints.
Nerve tracing
Dr. Gordon traces the median and ulnar nerves from the neck to the hand.
Forearm and neck assessment
Assessment of the forearm muscles and the neck.
Plan and coordination
A clear plan, plus communication with your physician, orthopedist or physical therapist when that helps your care.
When to see a physician first
- Sudden weakness in the arm or hand
- Numbness or tingling that is spreading or getting worse
- A hot, red, swollen joint or fever
- Visible deformity or inability to use the arm after an injury
- Arm pain with chest pain, shortness of breath or sweating
- Loss of grip with dropping objects frequently
If you have any of these, contact your doctor or go to the nearest emergency department.
Bring to your first visit
Records
Recent lab results, imaging reports and specialist notes. These can also be faxed ahead.
Treatment history
A short list of what you have tried and what did or did not help.
Clothing
Something comfortable and loose fitting.
Treatment
How Dr. Gordon Treats It
These are the tools Dr. Gordon uses most often for elbow and wrist pain, chosen from your exam findings.
Primary approach
Orthopedic Dry Needling
Dr. Gordon has used dry needling for more than 18 years. Treatment releases forearm and elbow muscles that pull on the wrist and compress nerves along the arm.
See all servicesNerve focus
Neuro-Functional Acupuncture
Electro-acupuncture along the median and ulnar nerve pathways to calm tingling and pain.
See all servicesBetween visits
Hand Plan & Team Coordination
Workstation, splinting and activity guidance, coordinated with your physician or hand therapist.
Referring provider? Contact the clinicWhat to Expect
A Typical Recovery Arc
Visits 1 to 3
Find the main driver
Dr. Gordon confirms which muscles and nerves are behind your symptoms and starts calming the most reactive areas. Many people notice early changes between visits.
Visits 4 to 8
Lower the baseline
Day-to-day symptoms ease, flares become shorter and less frequent, and normal routines start to feel more manageable.
Visits 9 to 12 and beyond
Build resilience
Visits are spaced out as improvement holds. You leave with a maintenance and early-flare plan.
Most patients are seen weekly or every other week during active care. Individual results vary with how long symptoms have been present and how reactive they are. Progress is reassessed at every visit.
Not sure how to describe it? Put your pain or discomfort into words before your visit
"Never in a million years did I think 3 visits later I'd be using my wrist again like normal!! I can lift heavy pots, I have full range of motion, and I can support myself to do planks, push ups, even lift if I want to without the pain I had been previously enduring!"
Megan Ramirez, Google Review
Elbow and Wrist Pain Questions
Answers About Elbow and Wrist Pain
Still unsure whether this is the right fit? Reach out before you book and Dr. Gordon will talk through your history with you.
It may be, but nerve compression higher up the arm can mimic it. The exam helps sort this out.
Wrist position during sleep can increase pressure on the nerve.
A neutral wrist splint helps many people with nighttime tingling.
Yes. Lifting a baby often causes thumb-side wrist pain.
Many people improve within four to eight sessions.
If tingling is constant or weakness is present, your physician may order it.
Before You Book
General Questions
The clinic is an out-of-network practice. The initial evaluation is $300 and follow-up visits are $250. After each visit you receive a detailed superbill to submit to your PPO plan for possible reimbursement. FSA and HSA cards are accepted, and the clinic can run a complimentary benefits check before your first appointment. The check is a courtesy, so please confirm your coverage with your plan. See Insurance & Fees for details. See Insurance & Fees for details.
The first evaluation is 60 to 75 minutes and usually includes treatment. Follow-up visits run 45 to 60 minutes.
Yes. Call (516) 597-5400 or send a message through the contact page. This is especially helpful if your case is complex and you want to understand the approach before committing to a full evaluation.
1508 Union Turnpike, Suite 133, North New Hyde Park, NY 11040, with free parking on site. The clinic is an easy drive from Manhasset, Great Neck, Garden City, Lake Success, Floral Park and Mineola. Early morning, evening and weekend hours are available.
Most people feel a quick muscle twitch or a deep ache that lasts a few seconds. That twitch is a normal sign the trigger point is releasing. Mild soreness for 24 to 48 hours afterward, similar to a hard workout, is common. Depth, angle and stimulation are adjusted to your comfort.
Both use the same fine, sterile, single-use needles. Dry needling targets specific trigger points and tight bands in muscle based on your exam. Neuro-functional acupuncture targets nerve pathways, often with gentle electrical stimulation, to calm nerve sensitivity. For elbow and wrist pain, Dr. Gordon commonly uses both.
When performed by a trained, licensed provider with detailed knowledge of anatomy, it has a strong safety record. Tell Dr. Gordon if you take blood thinners, have a bleeding disorder, are pregnant or have a weakened immune system so he can plan accordingly.
About Dr. Anthony J. Gordon
Dr. Anthony J. Gordon is a Doctor of Acupuncture licensed in New York and board certified. He holds ASE certification in intrapelvic and extrapelvic dry needling, along with advanced certifications in Functional Dry Needling and Neuro-Functional Acupuncture. With more than 18 years of clinical experience and over 3,000 complex cases treated, he focuses on pelvic, spinal and orthopedic conditions that have not responded to standard care, and works closely with each patient's physicians and physical therapists.
Read Dr. Gordon's full bioBook an Evaluation for Elbow and Wrist Pain
Book a full evaluation with Dr. Gordon and trace your wrist symptoms to their source.
Early morning, evening and weekend appointments available. Free on-site parking.
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