Are you experiencing the following symptoms ?
- Pain when performing gripping tasks.
- Tenderness directly over the elbow
- Pain when the muscles of the arm are stretched.
- Neck stiffness and tenderness
- Tingling sensation or numbness down the arm.
You could be suffering from Golfer’s elbow. Golfer’s elbow (medial epicondylitis) causes pain and swelling in the tendons that connect the forearm to the elbow. The pain centers on the bony bump on the inside of the elbow and may spread into the forearm.
Golfer’s elbow is usually caused by overusing the muscles in the forearm that allow you to grip, rotate your arm, and flex your wrist. Repetitive flexing, gripping, or swinging can cause pulls or tiny tears in the tendons.
Despite the name, this condition does not just affect golfers. Any repetitive hand, wrist, or forearm motions can lead to golfer’s elbow. Risky sports include tennis, bowling, and baseball.
Causes
Golfer’s elbow is caused by damaged muscle tissue at the point it inserts to the bone at the elbow. It occurs when more force is applied to an area than the normal healthy tissues can handle.
In some cases such as Chronic Golfer’s Elbow, this can occur due to the soft tissues being in poor health, which are easily injured. This leads to swelling and elbow pain. This is associated with degenerative changes in the muscle tissues located at the medial epicondyle.
People at risk of Golfer’s elbow
Golfer’s elbow occurs commonly in the community. Although it is more present in golfers, it is as well common in repetitive activities where gripping is involved.
Predictably, the side affected is usually associated with handedness, but it can occur in the non-dominant arm. Males and females are affected equally.
Treatment
Prevention
• Strengthen your forearm muscles. Use light weights or squeeze a tennis ball. Even simple exercises can help your muscles absorb the energy of sudden physical stress.
• Stretch before your activity. Walk or jog for a few minutes to warm up your muscles. Then do gentle stretches before you begin your game.
• Fix your form. Whatever your sport, ask an instructor to check your form to avoid overload on muscles.
• Use the right equipment. If you’re using older golfing irons, consider upgrading to lighter graphite clubs. If you play tennis, a racket with a small grip or a heavy head may increase the risk of elbow problems.
• Lift properly. When lifting anything — including free weights — keep your wrist rigid and stable to reduce the force to your elbow.
• Know when to rest. Try not to overuse your elbow. At the first sign of elbow pain, take a break.
Physiotherapy
- It has been shown to be effective in the short and long-term management of Golfer’s Elbow. This aims to achieve the following:
- Reduction of elbow pain.
- Facilitation of tissue repair.
- Restoration of normal joint range of motion and function.
- Restoration of normal muscle length, strength and movement patterns.
- Normalisation of your upper limb neurodynamics.
The treatment can include gentle mobilization of your neck and elbow joints, electrotherapy, protective strapping, neural mobilizations, massage and muscle stretches and strengthening.
Prognosis
Untreated golfer’s elbows can last anywhere from 6 months to 2 years. You are also prone to recurrence. Studies have shown physiotherapy to be an effective way of managing golfer’s elbow when compared to steroid injections or giving of advice alone.
