Golfer’s Elbow Treatment: What You Need to Know

Keeping your joints healthy is vital to staying active and mobile throughout your lifespan. Whether it’s your shoulder, knee, or elbow, a joint injury can be a frustrating and painful detour from your regular sports and exercise routines.

Read on to learn about golfer’s elbow, a common sports injury that causes pain in the inner part of your elbow joint.

a golf cart on a golf course

What Is Golfer’s Elbow?

Golfer’s elbow, or medial epicondylitis, is a condition that causes pain where the tendons of your forearm muscles attach to the inside of your elbow. In some cases, pain might spread into your forearm and wrist.

Despite the name, the golfer’s elbow is not limited to golfers and most often occurs in overhead-throwing athletes and manual laborers. Whether you’re a golfer or not, if you’re experiencing significant inner elbow pain, it might be time to see an orthopedic doctor.

What Does Golfer’s Elbow Feel Like?

Golfer’s elbow can cause a variety of sensations in the inner elbow and forearm, including pain and tenderness, stiffness, and weakness in the hands and wrists.

The most common symptoms are pain and tenderness in the inner elbow. The pain typically worsens with certain movements, such as gripping, twisting, or bending the wrist.

What Causes Golfer’s Elbow?

Golfer’s elbow is caused by overuse and strain on the tendons that bend your wrist towards your palm. Repeated motions that involve gripping, twisting, or forceful wrist flexion can irritate and inflame these tendons, leading to microtears and pain.

Here’s a breakdown of some common causes of golfer’s elbow:

  • Repetitive movements: Activities that involve repeated gripping, twisting, or wrist flexion, such as golfing (especially with poor swing technique), playing racquet sports (tennis, badminton), overhead throwing sports (baseball, softball), and certain occupations like carpentry, painting, or plumbing.
  • Improper technique: Using incorrect form during activities like golfing, weightlifting, or throwing can increase the stress on the tendons and lead to golfer’s elbow.
  • Sudden increase in activity: If you significantly increase the intensity or duration of activities that involve gripping or wrist movements, you may develop golfer’s elbow.
  • Weak forearm muscles: Weak forearm muscles can make you more susceptible to overuse injuries like golfer’s elbow.

How Is Golfer’s Elbow Diagnosed?

Generally, your doctor can diagnose golfer’s elbow with your medical history and a physical examination. In the exam, your doctor will examine your elbow, checking for tenderness, swelling, and any limitations in your range of motion.

In rare instances, imaging tests, such as X-rays and MRI scans, might be necessary to rule out other causes of elbow pain.

Golfer’s Elbow Treatment

Treatment for golfer’s elbow generally begins with rest — it’s especially important to avoid any activities that aggravate the pain.

Medication

Over-the-counter pain relief, such as ibuprofen, is often a helpful option for treating golfer’s elbow. For some mild cases, rest and pain relief are enough.

Therapy

One of the most effective approaches for treating golfer’s elbow involves gradually challenging the tendon with specialized strengthening exercises.

A physical therapist can help guide your recovery with stretching and strengthening exercises tailored to your needs.

Surgery

Surgery is usually a last resort. If conservative measures haven’t been effective for 6 to 12 months, you and your doctor can discuss if elbow surgery is the right fit for you.

What Happens If Golfer’s Elbow Goes Untreated?

If left untreated, golfer’s elbow can lead to permanent complications, including chronic pain, limited range of motion, and weakened grip strength. A lack of treatment alongside weakness in the forearm muscles can exacerbate inner elbow pain and other issues.

Can Golfer’s Elbow Become Permanent?

In most cases, golfer’s elbow is not permanent. The pain and inflammation typically resolve with proper treatment and rest within a few weeks or months.

Early diagnosis and intervention are key to preventing potential long-term complications. If you experience persistent elbow pain, consult your family doctor or the sports medicine specialists at Alexander Orthopaedics to get a proper diagnosis and discuss treatment options.

Ways To Prevent Golfer’s Elbow

Since golfer’s elbow is primarily an overuse injury, it’s key to listen to your body to avoid this injury. Take breaks and avoid playing through pain to prevent major issues.

Other ways to prevent golfer’s elbow include strengthening your forearms, stretching regularly, and using proper form for exercises, sports, and manual work.

Exercises to Help with Golfer’s Elbow

Stretching

Whether you’re naturally flexible or not, your joint health must include stretching as part of your routine. To help with golfer’s elbow, try the following stretches.

  • Wrist flexor stretch: This stretch targets the muscles on the underside of your forearm, which are commonly affected by golfer’s elbow.
    • Extend your affected arm in front of you with your palm facing up.
    • Gently pull your fingers and wrist down towards your body with your other hand.
    • Hold the stretch for 30 seconds and repeat 2-5 times.
  • Forearm extensor stretch: This stretch targets the muscles on the backside of your forearm.
    • Hold your affected elbow at your side, bent at a 90-degree angle.
    • Make a fist with your palm facing down, and bend your wrist down.
    • Keeping your wrist bent, slowly straighten your elbow so your arm is down at your side. Then, twist your fist outward so your palm is facing away from you and feel the stretch.
    • Hold for 30 seconds and repeat 2-4 times.

Strengthening

  • Isometric wrist flexion: This exercise strengthens the muscles that bend your wrist.
    • Sit down and rest your affected forearm on a table with your palm facing up.
    • Press your opposite palm into your affected hand.
    • Push down with your affected hand as you resist with your opposite hand for 10 seconds.
    • Relax and repeat 15 repetitions.
  • Eccentric wrist strengthening: This exercise strengthens the muscles in a controlled lengthening motion.
    • Hold a light weight in your hand (on the affected side of your body).
    • Sit down and rest your arm on your thigh with your palm facing upwards. Your elbow should be bent and your wrist extended.
    • Slowly lower the weight with your hand. Use your free hand to help move the weight back to its original position.
    • Repeat 10-15 times for 2-3 sets.

Lacrosse Ball Rolling for Soft Tissue Mobilization

This technique can help to loosen tight muscles and improve flexibility in your forearm.

  • Place a lacrosse ball on a flat surface.
  • Place your forearm on the lacrosse ball with your palm facing down or up.
  • Slowly roll your forearm back and forth over the ball, applying gentle pressure (avoid bony landmarks).
  • After slowly rolling, hold for 30 seconds or more on areas of tightness to allow for myofascial release.

Start slowly with any exercises. If you experience pain, stop. A physical therapist or sports medicine doctor can create a personalized recovery program tailored to your specific needs.

Remember that golfers’ elbows are often repetitive-use injuries. For overall joint health, it’s important to incorporate a variety of low-impact exercises into your routine to help keep joints healthy and pain-free over the long term.

What Exercises Should I Avoid with Golfer’s Elbow?

While performing exercises to strengthen and stretch the affected muscles can be beneficial for golfer’s elbow recovery, exercises that stress the flexor tendons can aggravate the condition.

Avoid heavy lifting, repetitive pulling/lifting, and gripping exercises. You should also skip exercises that flex your wrists towards your palm (such as decline push-ups) while you’re recovering.

Remember, recovery from golfer’s elbow often involves a combination of rest, physical therapy, and medication. While exercise is integral to the healing process, choosing exercises that won’t hinder your recovery is crucial.

Does Massage Help Golfer’s Elbow?

Massage can be a helpful tool in managing golfer’s elbow, but it should be used as part of a comprehensive treatment plan and under the guidance of your doctor or physical therapist.

Here’s how massage can potentially benefit golfer’s elbow:

  • Improved blood circulation. Massage can increase blood flow to the affected area, promoting healing and reducing inflammation.
  • Reduced muscle tension. Massage can help to loosen tight muscles in the forearm, which can reduce pain and improve flexibility.
  • Pain relief. Massage can stimulate the release of endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers.

FAQs about Golfer’s Elbow Treatment

What Is The Fastest Way to Cure Golfer’s Elbow?

Unfortunately, there are no “instant fixes” when it comes to golfer’s elbow, but early intervention and treatment can go a long way to ensuring the injury does not drag on. Start with the RICE method (rest, ice, compress, elevate) as soon as you experience pain in the elbow. Contact your doctor or physical therapist as soon as possible to get a diagnosis and chart your fastest path to recovery.

How Long Does Golfer’s Elbow Take to Heal?

As with most injuries, recovery from golfer’s elbow is a personal journey, and the time it takes to heal will depend on individual factors and the severity of the condition. For mild cases, golfer’s elbow might only last a few weeks, but a common timeline for a full recovery can also be 3-6 months.

What Activities Should I Avoid with Golfer’s Elbow?

As you recover, avoid repetitive gripping, heavy lifting, and any activities that flex your wrist toward your palm. As a general guideline, avoid any activity that increases your pain or aggravates the elbow area.

What’s the Difference Between Tennis Elbow and Golfer’s Elbow?

Tennis elbow and golfer’s elbow are overuse injuries affecting the elbow joint’s opposite sides. They share many similarities but have critical differences in the location of the pain and the muscle groups affected.

  • Tennis elbow occurs on the outside of the elbow (lateral epicondyle), while with golfer’s elbow, the pain is felt on the inner side of the elbow.
  • Tennis elbow affects the extensor muscles that straighten your wrist and fingers, while golfer’s elbow affects the flexor muscles that bend your wrist and fingers.

Is It Okay to Lift Weights with Golfer’s Elbow?

Avoid lifting heavy weights during your recovery from golfer’s elbow. Lifting weights with your palm facing upwards, in particular, should be avoided until you are completely pain-free. This position significantly strains the flexor tendons in your forearm, which are already inflamed in the golfer’s elbow.

Is Squeezing a Tennis Ball Good for Golfer’s Elbow?

Avoid squeezing exercises, including pressing a tennis ball, while you recover from golfer’s elbow. Squeezing and gripping can further irritate the tendons and inhibit recovery.

Get Expert Golfer’s Elbow Treatment at Alexander Orthopaedics

Don’t let elbow pain keep you out of the game. Schedule an appointment with the experts at Alexander Orthopaedics today to get back to doing what you love.