From the description of your symptoms, I suspect you have tendonitis near the elbow rather than carpal tunnel syndrome.

To make a fist, muscles in the forearm are flexed. These muscles are attached by tendons to bones near the wrist and elbow, allowing motion of these joints.

Tendonitis
Tendonitis develops when there is inflammation or irritation of these tendons. This may happen after overuse or repetitive motion. Sometimes it happens without an obvious explanation.

Treating tendonitis includes rest, avoiding activities that may have triggered it, a brace to rest the tendon, and medications for pain and inflammation. In severe cases, a cortisone shot may be helpful.

Carpal tunnel syndrome
Carpal tunnel syndrome is a disorder of the median nerve in the wrist. This nerve travels through a tight space called the carpal tunnel, which is easily compressed.

Symptoms include:

• Weakness of grip
• Numbness or tingling in the fingers
• Discomfort in the hand, wrist or forearm

It would be unusual for carpal tunnel syndrome to cause prominent elbow pain when grasping, especially without other symptoms.

See your doctor about your symptoms. It is usually easy to figure out if a person has carpal tunnel syndrome, elbow tendonitis or another cause of the symptoms you describe.