Golfer’s elbow (or medial epicondylitis) can be painful, frustrating to deal with, and can affect your ability to do everyday tasks as well as participate in the leisure activities you love. Golfer’s elbow can affect people of all ages but is more common in people over the age of 40 and those who perform repetitive movements with their elbows and wrists for periods of over one hour at time.  It is also slightly more common for men to develop this condition compared to women. 

Golfer’s elbow usually comes on over time as the result of an overuse injury of the flexor muscles of the forearm. Some of the most common causative activities include playing racket sports or golf, throwing sports (football, baseball, javelin), archery, weight training with improper technique, and repetitive occupational movements requiring force (like those needed for carpentry, construction, plumbing or other physically intense occupations). With overuse the tendon can develop micro-injuries leading to inflammation and pain in the forearm, or where the flexor tendons anchor on the medial (inside) part of the elbow. With too much stress, the body cannot repair the injured tissue and structural alterations of the tendon can occur, leading to chronic pain and sometimes degeneration. 

Symptoms of Golfers Elbow

Symptoms of golfer’s elbow include: 

• Pain that can be constant or worsen with certain movement and is felt on the inner part of the elbow or sometimes into the forearm. 
• Stiffness in the elbow or wrist and occasionally pain with making a fist. 
• Generally, pain can be accompanied by weakness in the hands, wrists and elbows.
• Numbness or tingling that can radiate to the fingers (most often the ring finger and pinky). 

If you have any of the above symptoms but your elbow is also hot, inflamed or swollen, looks deformed, can’t be bent, or you have suffered a traumatic injury to the elbow, seek immediate medical attention.  

Diagnosing golfer’s elbow is generally based on clinical history and an examination performed by a physiotherapist, chiropractor, or medical doctor and does not typically require special lab tests or imaging; however, your healthcare practitioner may order such tests if they feel that they are warranted. 

Treatment for Golfer’s Elbow

Without treatment, golfer’s elbow can persist for weeks or months; but with the right treatment, healing time can be significantly reduced.  If you suffer with this condition, there are a variety of therapies available to control pain and improve your function. At Unpain Clinic in Edmonton, we work with you to customize your treatment plan for the best possible results. 

At home treatment options include: 

• rest and reduction or modification of aggravating activities
• using ice and elevation to control inflammation
• stretching, foam rolling or using self-massage to release the affected forearm muscles 
• strengthening exercises for weak muscles 
• the use of pain relief or anti-inflammatory medications or topicals as directed by a pharmacist or medical doctor 

In-clinic options for treating golfer’s elbow can include: 

• manual myofascial release or massage therapy (including some special techniques like ART, Rapid NFR or Graston) 
• dry needling or clinical acupuncture
• ultrasound, laser therapy or TENS  
• KT or kinesio taping 
• the provision of orthotic devices such as braces or splints 
• shockwave therapy  

At Unpain Clinic Edmonton we love shockwave therapy for golfer’s elbow 

Your healthcare professional will work with you to create the best treatment plan.  While we do offer a variety of interventions, including intensive manual therapy and exercise for those in need, we find many patients respond very well and relatively quickly to shockwave therapy for their golfer’s elbow. Shockwave works by speeding up the natural healing process or, in some cases, re-activating it after years of dormancy.   Your own stem cells are activated, old scar tissue is removed and replaced with healthy new collagen, and blood vessels grow rapidly to improve tissue health.  Your body does the healing work, we just help it along in relatively low risk way with shockwave treatment. 

FAQs

Do I need to use a golfer’s elbow brace or strap? 

Bracing or using a forearm strap can help to reduce the load on the affected tendon. Using a strap on the forearm, not right at the elbow, helps to reduce pain by moving the point of tension away from the affected tendon. While bracing can be helpful, it is not mandatory. If you choose to use a brace or strap it may be helpful to consult with a healthcare professional to select one that fits correctly, is comfortable and is suited to your activities and personal needs. 

Will I need surgery to correct my golfer’s elbow? 

If your golfer’s elbow is severe and non-responsive to more conservative types of treatment, you will need to be referred to an orthopedic specialist to discuss the possibility of injections, tenotomy or surgery to treat your pain.

Do I need to stop doing the activities that I normally do? 

Activity modification or cessation may be helpful for a period of time to reduce strain on the affected flexor tendon. Golfer’s elbow is an overuse injury and one of the best ways to heal it is to avoid over stressing the forearm muscles, but this doesn’t mean that you will never be able to do your job or the things that you love. Our healthcare professionals educate and offer advice to their patients to guide their return to full functional participation and make activity modifications to reduce strain and prevent further injury. 

What exercises are good for golfer’s elbow pain? 

There are many different exercises that can be used during golfer’s elbow rehab and physiotherapy but some common ones include:

Forearm Flexor Stretch

• Hold your arm comfortably out in front of you with your elbow straight, palm down
• Bend at the wrist and bring your fingers up to the ceiling with your palm away from you
• Use your other hand to pull your wrist closer to your body, keeping your elbow straight out in front of you
• Feel for a stretch in your forearm and at the affected area and hold for 30 seconds or more. 
• Perform this exercise one or more times per day as needed. 

 Forearm Extensor Stretch

• Hold your arm comfortably out in front of you with your elbow straight, palm down
• Bend at the wrist and bring your fingers down to the floor with your palm facing you 
• Use your other hand to pull your wrist closer to your body, keeping your elbow straight out in front of you
• Feel for a stretch in your upper forearm and hold for 30 seconds or more. 
• Perform this exercise one or more times per day as needed. 

 Eccentric flexion 

• Hold a small weight or soup in your hand and hang your wrist over the edge of a table or support surface
• Keep your forearm on the table and your palm facing upwards but let your wrist hang toward the floor
• Bring your wrist toward the ceiling SLOWLY and then lower your wrist down again below the level of the table. Return to your start position and repeat. 
• Perform 10-20 repetitions of this exercise once per day. 

Eccentric Extension

• Hold a small weight or soup in your hand and hang your wrist over the edge of a table or support surface
• Keep your forearm on the table and your palm facing the floor; let your wrist hang toward the floor
• Bring your wrist toward the ceiling SLOWLY and then lower your wrist down again below the level of the table. Return to your start position and repeat. 
• Perform 10-20 repetitions of this exercise once per day. 

Ball Squeeze

• Hold a semi-soft ball or stress ball in the palm of your hand with the tips of your fingers on the ball too
• Squeeze the ball with your fingertips and hold for a few seconds then release and repeat. You can use all your fingers or alternate and try to use one or two at a time. 
• Perform 10-20 repetitions of this exercise once per day.