Question: What’s the difference between tennis and golfers elbow?
Answer: Where the pain is!
Golfers elbow (medial epicondylitis) occurs on the inside of the elbow where as tennis elbow (lateral epicodylitis) occurs on the outside of the elbow. Both are typically caused by overuse.
Golfers Elbow
What Causes it?
Golfer’s elbow is usually caused by overuse of the muscles in the forearm that allow you to grip, rotate your arm, and flex your wrist. Repetitive flexing, gripping, or swinging can cause a pull on the tendons attaching to your elbow bone resulting in inflammation and pain.
Common symptoms?
– Pain and tenderness. Usually felt on the inner side of your elbow, the pain sometimes extends along the inner side of your forearm. Pain typically worsens with certain movements.
– Your elbow may feel stiff, and making a fist might hurt.
– You may have weakness in your hands and wrists.
– Numbness or tingling. These sensations might radiate into one or more fingers — usually the ring and little fingers.
Who gets Golfer’s elbow?
You could be at higher risk of developing golfer’s elbow if you’re:
– Age 40 or older
– Performing repetitive activity at least two hours a day
– Obese
– A smoker
Treatment options
Osteopaths ultimate aim is to decrease the acute symptoms and pain then rehabilitate the tendon and finally prevent reoccurrence. There are a lot of treatment options for Golfers elbow which include but are not limited to;
– Thorough exam of the elbow
– Soft tissue to the tight muscles
– Taping
– Dry needling
– The use of a brace
Rehab
Manual therapy and rehabilitation remains a central aspect of recovery from medial epicondylitis.
Stage 1- Returning normal pain free movement, this may be done with a series of movements of the elbow and wrist and are progressed in terms of speed and repetitions
Stage 2- Strengthening the tendon through a series of weight concentric, eccentric and isometric movements
Stage 3- Return to normal sport
A progressive return to sport once the patient has achieved a certain level of rehab. Sport-specific concerns, such as equipment and technique, should also be addressed to reduce undue stress at the elbow. In the selection of golf clubs, the length, shaft weight, club head weight, and club head strike zone must be considered.
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