What is Golfer’s Elbow?
‘Golfer’s Elbow’ or ‘golf elbow,’ is an inflammation of the tendons on the inside of the elbow. These muscles are the flexor muscles of the wrist and they all join a common tendon, which inserts into the inside of the elbow. This attachment point at the elbow is called the medial epicondyle, and thus the medical term for golfer’s elbow is medial epicondylitis (meaning inflammation of the epicondyle).
Typically, the golfer’s elbow sufferer will experience pain with gripping tasks. Golf elbow causes pain right on the inside elbow, and may cause pain with handling weights at the gym or lifting items that are awkward in size, such as frypans or trays. It is primarily associated with overuse of the flexor muscles, resulting in pain and inflammation at the attachment point into the elbow, as the tendon becomes overloaded with time. While the name suggests it is only common in golfers, it does not discriminate! We most commonly see it in desk users with a poor ergonomic setup, or gym users who do not stabilise the wrists adequately, or progress too quickly with arm curls etc.
Treatment needs to identify the source of the low-grade overload. Often it is not obvious and may require some prolonged digging into desk postures, hobbies and gym routines, but finding the cause is the most important step. Treatment often includes manual therapy to unload the elbow, taping, dry needling, and a progressive strengthening program to rebuild the elbow tendon strength as tolerated.
Golfer’s elbow is a painful condition occurring from repeated muscle contractions in the forearm, which leads to an overload of the tendons on the inside of the elbow. Often it is caused by poor positioning (albeit slight in most cases!) of the wrist and hand, causing an imbalance of force around the elbow.
Your physiotherapist will do a full subjective and objective assessment of your elbow considering a wide range of factors including potential referred pain from the neck or upper arm, sporting technique, desk set up or postural issues, sporting technique, strength, and range of movement.
City Physio & Sports Injury Centre has been providing musculoskeletal physiotherapy in the MLC Centre for over 30 years. Our team are expertly trained in providing detailed full-body assessments and delivering personalised treatment for musculoskeletal conditions, sports injuries, headaches, neck and back pain. Book your appointment online here today.