Many people may experience pain from their elbow to their wrist, on the inside of the elbow. This pain can be felt when bending the wrist toward your palm. If this sounds like something you are experiencing you, might have Golfer’s Elbow
What is Golfer’s Elbow?
Golfer’s elbow, also known as medial epicondylitis, is an injury to the medial side of the elbow (the closest to the body) that affects the tendons attaching the finger, hand, and wrist flexors to the elbow bone. This can cause pain and discomfort in the elbow, forearm, and wrist, as well as weakness and stiffness in the affected arm.
While the name may be deceiving, golf players aren’t the only ones who can experience golfer’s elbow. This condition is actually linked more to an occupational injury than a sports injury.
What causes it?
It is caused by repetitive stress or overuse of the forearm muscles and tendons, which can lead to small tears in the tendons that attach to the bony bump on the inside of the elbow. Golfer’s elbow can be more sudden due to inflammation and swelling of the tendon, or it can be more chronic where healthy tendon tissue is turned into or replaced with unhealthy tissue that is less strong.
Besides golf, repetitive tasks and activities can lead to golfer’s elbow including:
- Typing or using a computer mouse
- Throwing sports like baseball, softball, football and javelin
- Weightlifting
- Carpentry, plumbing, or other construction professions
- Lifting heavy objects or boxes (moving to a new home)
If left untreated, golfer’s elbow can become chronic and severely limit your ability to perform daily tasks.
What are the symptoms of Medial Epicondylitis?
Pain at the medial side of the elbow and forearm (the side closest to the body) that is worse with grasping objects and lifting objects. The pain can radiate to other areas of the elbow or down the forearm towards the writs. In some cases, there may be weakness and stiffness in the affected arm which can make it difficult to perform everyday activities.
How is it diagnosed?
Golfer’s elbow is usually diagnosed with good history taking and a physical examination in a doctor’s office. A doctor may examine your elbow, checking for tenderness, swelling, and any limitations in your range of motion.
Diagnostic ultrasound can also demonstrate various changes in the tendon to confirm the diagnosis and provide more details about the extent of the problem. Other imaging modalities like X-rays and MRI may also be recommended, but are not typically necessary.
Treatment and Prevention
Treatment consists of rest from aggravating activities while strengthening and stretching the forearm, wrist, and hand muscles with a physical therapist. Elbow compression sleeves and counterforce braces can be helpful to prevent pain during daily activities. Injectional therapies like prolotherapy or PRP (platelet rich plasma) injections are useful for chronic tendon issues and can help to restart the healing process. Other treatments include needling and trigger point injections into the forearm muscles.
Daily repetitive activities using the hands and wrists can lead to golfer’s elbow. Avoiding excessive hand squeezing and carrying heavy objects with the hands can help prevent this problem. The forearm, wrist, and hand muscles should be strengthened and trained to support their tendon attachments. Most people who strength train forget about training these muscles.
If you are a golfer, try to take a few lessons and learn more about proper hand placement on the golf club. This can reduce the strain on your tendons and lower the risk of injury.