Golfers elbow
Golfers elbow
What is golfer's elbow?
Golfer's elbow is a condition which causes pain around the inside bony part of the elbow and down into the forearm. It's also known as medial epicondylitis or medial epicondyle tendinopathy.
The most commonly affected arm is the dominant side. Golfer's elbow is often an overuse injury primarily due to repetitive strain from tasks and activities that involve repeated gripping and movement of the hand.
The condition is called golfer's elbow because it's a common injury in golf, but many other activities can also cause it.
This information may be useful if you have been diagnosed with golfer's elbow. If you have new or ongoing symptoms, please visit your healthcare professional for advice.
Common Symptoms
⚠️ This symptom list is for educational purposes. Having these symptoms does not mean you have this condition. See a doctor for proper diagnosis.
Medicines Commonly Used
⚠️ These medicines are commonly used for confirmed diagnoses of this condition. This is NOT a recommendation or prescription. Treatment must be determined by your doctor.
No medicines have been linked to this condition yet.
Causes
What causes golfer's elbow?
Golfer's elbow happens when the tendons around your elbow become strained. These tendons help you grip things, so problems often show up during activities like:
- gripping
- writing
- lifting
- pulling
- twisting
When the muscles that bend your wrist and fingers are used over and over, the tendon can become overloaded and start to change. Over time, this leads to the pain of golfer's elbow.
A few other factors can also affect how healthy your tendons are:
- smoking
- obesity
- a high fat diet
- high cholesterol levels
- diabetes (Type 1 and 2)
Diagnosis
To find out if you have golfer's elbow, a healthcare professional will need to assess you.
They'll first ask about your elbow problem, then do a physical exam, which may include checking how well you can move your arm and how strong it is.
Sometimes a further test is needed to rule out other conditions.
Treatment
If your elbow pain gets worse with certain movements, try adjusting your activity to avoid triggering it. You can do this by:
- changing the way you grip or lift objects
- carrying lighter loads
- taking regular breaks during activities that bring on the pain
Along with these changes, it's important to begin exercising your elbow.
Read about exercises for golfer's elbow
Pain treatments
Pain medication can help you move more comfortably, which in turn helps with managing your symptoms.
More about taking painkillers.
Some people find an elbow support, sometimes called an epicondylitis clasp, helpful for easing the pain of golfer's elbow.
Research suggests these may help in the short term, though the evidence supporting their use is limited.
If exercise, activity changes and painkillers aren't enough to control the pain, your healthcare professional may talk to you about a corticosteroid injection in the elbow. That said, current evidence shows limited benefit from this treatment for this condition, and it may even harm the health of your tendon.
Corticosteroids are medicines that help reduce pain and swelling. They're sometimes given together with a local anaesthetic.
These injections won't cure your condition; they're used only to help with pain.
Read more about corticosteroids
Work
With golfer's elbow, you may sometimes need to take time off work to support your recovery. How much time you need depends on your condition and the nature of your work.
You don't need to be completely free of symptoms before returning to work. Going back to work as soon as you reasonably can will actually help your recovery.
Gradually resuming your normal daily activities can help rebuild your strength and stamina.
Help and support
By following this advice, you should notice steady improvement over time.
Speak to a healthcare professional if:
- your symptoms haven't improved after 6 weeks of following this advice
- your symptoms get worse
Find out about access to MSK services in your area
Whatever health condition you're dealing with, it's also important to look after your mental wellbeing, since this can affect your recovery.
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