Golfer's elbow? But I've never been on a golf course.

How about something like http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/175-4798107-5523847?ASIN=B000W2YO4O&AFID=Froogle&LNM=B000W2YO4O%7CIMAK_Tennis_Elbow_Band_One_Size&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=B000W2YO4O&ref=tgt_adv_XSG10001? Oh, and I would research the use of frequent ice.

First, read http://www.shareguide.com/Egoscue.html with Pete Egoscue. Pete developed his method after getting shot in Vietnam and declining to live with the pain and restriction the doctors said were his lot. What your problem sounds like is "movement starvation". The human body needs a certain volume of daily, full-body movement. In the absence of that, the body starts shutting down the muscles etc that aren't getting used. Sitting at a desk/riding around in a car day in and out causes the inner posture muscles (the ones that hold us upright) to atrophy, and then we get bad posture and a misaligned musculo-skeletal system. Chronic pain is the body's way of telling us "You're not giving me the volume of movement I need to maintain my systems. Important muscles have atrophied, the body is out of alignment, and when you move things are grinding improperly. Change this." Go to the library and get a copy of his book http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0553379887/metafilter-20/ref=nosim/. Best of luck.

Nth-ing the advice in the nytimes article Omiewise posted. It helped immensely with my tennis elbow and I was highly skeptical. It took a few weeks, but I slowly built up those muscles and strengthened the tendons. I also had to address issues with my stroke form & the weight of my tennis racket. I only mention that because you may need to look at the ergonomics of your working environment to see if you can make any adjustments there.

You might benefit from going to a massage therapist to get a good work-over before you go to the doctor. At the very least, it would feel good and be relaxing to have your muscles loosened up. I've been reading a book, http://www.triggerpointbook.com/, and it has been very informative as to how much pain can actually result from trigger points (aka knots) in muscles. The author talks quite a bit about tennis elbow and golfer's elbow and might be worth checking out. Your story sounds like a case study straight out of the book, to be honest. The book helps you discover the cause of your pain, the anatomy/mechanics behind what's going on and how you can treat it yourself (if it's in fact trigger point-related). A professional massage therapist is probably a good place to start, though, especially if you think it's related to repetitive strain. Good luck! Living with pain is no fun and I hope you are able to find a solution.

Nthing Egoscue — after 15 years of intermittent but chronic back pain (of the back-brace-and-cane, immobilized-by-pain-for-weeks variety) following an injury, I discovered Egoscue. I no longer consider myself a person with a bad back; I no longer consider the concept of a "bad back" to be a useful or relevant one. Two years ago, before I started doing the Egoscue exercises, I was on Vicodin and barely able to move. Today I'm training for a half marathon and considered "the athletic one" by my co-workers. Also nthing the Trigger Point Workbook, which has been very helpful for me, as well as http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1594770549/metafilter-20/ref=nosim/ and http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1594770808/metafilter-20/ref=nosim/, both by Donna Finando.

The best way to rest this tendon is with a wrist brace that restricts rotation of the forearm. These things do take a long time to heal.

Do you lean on your elbow? Don't. I was getting tingling pain in my pinkie and ring fingers and that's what was causing it.

Is the back of your hand numb or painful? You may have cubital tunnel syndrome like I did. I had to have surgery on my elbow to resection my ulnar nerve.