Medial epicondylitis is the correct name for golfer’s elbow, and it is as painful as the word looks. Golfers who have it know how painful it is and what they want to know is how to cure golfers elbow. It is not easy, since it is a form of repetitive strain injury, or RSI.
Like all RSI injuries, golfer’s elbow is caused by overuse. It is a painful condition caused by overuse of the muscles and tendons in your forearms that bend your arm and control your finger movement.
That’s why it hurts so much to clench your fist. It can be brought on by a sudden jolt, such as hitting tree roots or rocks on a full shot, or taking too many divots.
The muscles are attached to a bony lump on the inside of the elbow called the medial epicondyle. That’s how it got its posh name. The bone itself, and the tendons, get very painful, causing a swelling of the elbow in general. The pain can travel down the arm and into the wrist.
It gets worse when the arm is waved, such as when playing golf or tennis, and any activity that causes excessive finger movement, such as gripping anything tight, squeezing the fingers or even shaking hands can cause great pain.
Golfer’s Elbow is a Form of RSI
Golfer’s elbow is a form of RSI that can be brought on by many different activities that produce exactly the same or similar symptoms in the elbow. Tennis elbow, for example is very similar only it affects the outside, rather than the inside, of the elbow.
Golfer’s elbow can be brought on by hammering, typing, sawing chopping wood or any other activity that involves repetitive use of the muscles and tendons of the forearm.
There is no quick cure for this, and you have to be prepared to take time off golf. Cheating will only make it worse, and will eventually extend your recovery period so follow your doctor’s instruction to the letter.
If you don’t it may lead to surgery, and you don’t want that. Surgery involves scraping and cleaning the tendons and the bone and then reattaching them. That takes a long time to heal, so you are doing yourself no favors by nipping off to the course when you should be resting.
The primary treatment is rest. You should completely rest the arm, and have it strapped up while flexed. You can reduce the swelling and the pain by using ice packs.
Four times a day for up to twenty minutes a time, and you can wrap the packs in a towel or something similar. If the pain persists, you can try some over the counter pain relief, such as Tylenol, ibuprofen or aspirin.
However, if it is still there then perhaps your doctor will recommend a treatment of steroids. You can be given cortisone injections, but no more than three a year.
You Will be Back on the Golf Course Before you Know It
If pain persists then there may be no option other than surgery. Around 10% -15% of cases of golfer’s elbow end up with surgery. It’s not the end of the world though, and will heal completely in time. Before you know it, you will be back on the golf course again. Once there, you must do what you can to prevent a recurrence.
Stretching and strengthening exercises will help strengthen your arm muscles and even occupational therapy will help, and once you are back there is something that you must do.
You must get better at the game. You have to stop hitting rocks, tree roots and divots. Get your swing sorted out, and carry out some warm-up stretching exercises before each round. Swinging with cold muscles is asking for trouble.
It is not easy to cure golfer’s elbow, and
a full recovery is not quick. However, if you wait
until you have fully recovered, and then follow the
advice given to prevent it happening again, there
is no reason why you should not be back on your game
with no more than a season out. You will be lucky
to get over it in less.
For more Golf Injuries information , read the Perform Better Golf Blog, published daily by Mike Pedersen.
About the Author: Mike Pedersen is one of the top golf training and conditioning experts in the country, author of the Ultimate Golf Fitness Manual, and founder of several online golf fitness and exercise websites.
Check out his golf exercise dvds, training programs, and workout products, and his new and proven Golf Fitness System, specifically designed to improve golf specific strength, flexibility, coordination, and overall golf swing mechanics!
