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Is Golfer’s Elbow Pain Keeping You Off The Course? 

Is Golfer's Elbow Pain Keeping You Off The Course? 

Are you trying to fit in as much time on the course as possible this season? Who could blame you? Golf is one activity that offers a healthy combination of mental stimulation, physical fitness, fresh air, and solace. For these reasons, it’s hard to keep avid golfers off the course during stretches of favourable weather. However, if and when pain or discomfort starts interfering with your swing, it’s time to do something about it before it gets worse. Here’s what you need to know about Golfer’s Elbow and Golfer’s Elbow treatment in Victoria, BC.

What Is Golfer’s Elbow and Why Does It Hurt So Much?

Like tennis elbow, which occurs outside the elbow, Golfer’s Elbow (Medial Epicondylitis) is an overuse injury. Technically a form of tendinitis, Golfer’s Elbow is caused by repetitive movements that strain and inflict small tears in the muscles and tendons of your forearm, resulting in pain and inflammation that radiates from the inside of your elbow. 

Pain from Golfer’s Elbow can come on suddenly, gradually, or develop and worsen with repeated use. It’s not uncommon for golf enthusiasts to push through the initial signs and symptoms of Golfer’s Elbow until the resulting pain and stiffness interfere with their swing. Golfer’s Elbow that is caught early and treated with adequate rest and ice can sometimes resolve on its own. Still, if pain, stiffness, or weakness persist, you’re better off seeing a health practitioner for proper diagnosis and treatment. 

Signs & Symptoms of Golfer’s Elbow

Here are the most common signs & symptoms of Golfer’s Elbow:

  • Pain and tenderness at the inner side of your elbow
  • Elbow pain that worsens with specific movements–especially during your golf swing.
  • Stiffness of elbow and forearm
  • Difficulty, weakness, or pain when clenching your grip to make a fist
  • Numbness, burning, or tingling pain that may extend into the upper arm, forearm, and fingers
  • Pain and tenderness that worsens at night or upon waking
  • Pain when you make a fist or flex your wrist towards your forearm

Common Causes & Aggravating Factors

Considered an overuse injury, Golfer’s Elbow isn’t exclusive to golfers. Instead, it’s a common ailment amongst athletes, workers, and enthusiasts that partake in activities or occupations that place repetitive load or strain on the forearms and elbow, including:

  • Tennis and other racquet sports
  • Baseball, football, and other sports that involve pitching/throwing
  • Rowing
  • Occupations that involve the frequent and repeated use of tools such as hammers, wrenches, cleavers, paintbrushes, and paint rollers
  • Computer work
  • Weightlifting movements that cause curling of wrists or which place strain and load on forearms, wrists, and elbows

Things You Can Do to Help Prevent It From Developing

  • Taking time to warm up and stretch your muscles before activity 
  • Proper use of a compression sleeve to help support your wrists and elbows as needed
  • Paying attention to proper form on the course and during workouts
  • Performing exercises that target and strengthen your wrists and forearm muscles
  • Being correctly fitted with the right sports equipment for your size and stature
  • Staying on top of hydration during activity and getting adequate rest
  • Being mindful of signals your body sends you indicating that rest and care are needed (pain, swelling, discomfort, decreased range of motion, numbness, etc.)
  • Establishing good workstation posture and ergonomics 

When to Seek Treatment for Golfer’s Elbow Pain

Mild cases of Golfer’s elbow often resolve with several days of rest and intermittent icing; however, if the pain persists or worsens, it’s best to seek treatment. Left untreated, Golfer’s Elbow can progress to more serious injury, resulting in limited movement, permanent disability, or conditions requiring surgery to help resolve. For this reason, prevention and prompt treatment are vital. When rest and ice fail to resolve pain, or when Golfer’s Elbow continues to flare up and interfere with your activities, it’s time to get help. The good news is, with proper help and treatment, Golfer’s Elbow can be resolved and prevented. 

At Diversified Health Clinic, effective treatment of activity-induced aches and pains involves a tailored approach, starting with a thorough assessment of your condition to identify the root cause of your pain and determine the best course of treatment that will expedite healing.

Take the Next Step

Don’t let Golfer’s Elbow keep you off the course for too long. Instead, take the first step on your road to recovery by booking an appointment with one of our practitioners today. Call (250) 382-0018 or book an appointment online. We offer direct billing and weekday and weekend appointments. Please view our hours of operation and location details here.

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More golf play, means more swings, and more injuries!

Are you ready for some spring golf?  Time to dust off your golf clubs, clean out your golf bag, and tee it up!  As most golf injuries are due to overuse, proper warmup is essential for peak performance.

Here are some of the most common golfing injuries:

Low Back Pain

The rotational stresses of the back swing can place a tremendous amount of pressure or strain on the spine, discs and muscles of the lower back.  Because the swing is one direction, overtime  this can lead to more serious problems of sciatica (pain down the leg) , disc  injuries, and degenerative disc disease or osteoarthritis.

Regular chiropractic adjustments, spinal decompression,and  myofascial release  are all treatments that work well to stabilize the lower back and maintain a healthy spine and allow pain free range of motion.

Golfer’s Elbow

This injury also known as medial epicondylitis  occurs when there is inflammation of the tendons on the inside of your elbow.  Repetitive motion leads to pain and point  tenderness at the elbow, and pain when striking the ball.  Strengthening and stretching the forearm muscles, and slowing down your swing can help take some of the strain away.  Try squeezing a tennis ball, or doing simple wrist curls and reverse wrist curls with a small hand weight.  Shockwave and myofascial release are treatments that are fast and effective in helping heal up the tissues in that area.

Bursitis

Bursitis is a common injury in the elbow as well as the shoulder.  The bursa is a fluid filled sac that acts as a cushion between the bone and skin.  With overuse, it can become inflamed and swell, making range of motion very painful. RICE, rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation is a common the treatment for bursitis, as well as lase r and ultrasound to decrease the inflammation.  Many people get bursitis and tendonitis mixed up and are unsure of the diagnosis.  Dr. Crowle can evaluate the area and effective come up with a treatment plan for you.

Rotator Cuff Tendonitis

The shoulder is often affected in golf.  People often experience pain when the arm is lifted away and overhead.  Overtime  tendonitis at the shoulder can make regular golfing very difficult.  Some people with chronic shoulder issues develop Frozen Shoulder, where their range of motion is very painful and they are not able to lift their arm in the full range of motion above their head.  Frozen shoulder is a long process and can take up to a year to regain full range of motion. Chiropractic adjustments, Shockwave and moyofascial release are all affective  in relieving pain, and helping you to continue golfing as you are healing .

Other Repetitive Injuries

Many golfers experience knee  pain due to the twisting of the swing, and the sideways force at the knee.  Meniscus injuries, as well as osteoarthritis over time can cause problems  in the knees.

Carpal Tunnel  is inflammation of the nerves and soft tissue of the wrist and  Dequervain’s tendonitis of the base of the the thumb are also prominent injuries in golf.

Tips on how to prevent these types of injuries:

Get to the course early. You need enough time to take care of your business in the golf shop, use the restroom, change your shoes, etc.  Remember, your warmup routine sets the tempo for the day, so move slowly and relax.

Begin warming up on the putting green. Putting is 40-percent of golf and the putting stroke is the slowest and smoothest of all strokes in golf, and then spend the next 10 minutes hitting chips around the green with a tee as a target.

Begin your full swing warmup with stretching. Stretching can improve your range of motion and light calisthenics such as jogging or jumping jacks will help get the body prepared.  Use your club to stretch your arms, shoulders and spine side to side and twisting.

Keep hydrated (water) on the course, and don’t ignore the early warning signs of pain and tenderness in these areas of your body.  Overtime they can get worse and become chronic issues, and lead to arthritis and degeneration.  Remember if you fail to warm up properly you are setting yourself up to fail when you play.

Having regular chiropractic adjustments and assessing the spine and extremities for weakness and imbalances can keep golfers injury free and back in the game.

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