Golfer’s Elbow
Do you have forearm pain with wrist movement, gripping, or throwing? Does it travel down the inside of your forearm toward your wrist? You may have an elbow condition called medial epicondylitis, or commonly referred to as Golfer’s Elbow.
Despite the name, 90% of cases are not sport-related. Occupations with forceful or repetitive activities (such as carpentry, plumbing, and construction) are also at risk of developing this issue due to the movements required for the job. Unsurprisingly, 3 out of 4 cases are in the dominant arm.
Medial epicondylitis, is classified as a tendinopathy and is commonly an overuse injury. This means that repetitive movements have caused an increase in loading of some key muscles (wrist flexors, pronator teres) which have caused changes, and an accumulation of microtears, within the tendon. It is possible for an acute trauma (sudden violent contraction of the muscles or a blow to the area) to cause this as well, but much less common.
Some common symptoms that are associated with Golfer’s Elbow are:
1. Pain from the inside of your elbow and down to your wrist.
2. Pain or weakness when throwing, holding, or squeezing objects.
3. Pain with forearm motion.
4. Elbow stiffness, weakness, or tingling in the ulnar nerve distribution (up to 20% of people can experience this).
5. Swelling, erythema, warmth (less likely with chronic).
How can we diagnose Golfer’s Elbow?
● MRI is ideal but generally used to rule out other causes of elbow pain.
● US is a quick, easy, and cost-effective way to assess muscles and tendons.
● Tenderness over the muscle tendon near where it attaches to the bone.
● Pain with muscle strength testing.
● Specific Golfer’s Elbow tests your Physiotherapist can perform which are considered positive if you experience pain on these test.
● Tinel’s test to assess for any nerve involvement.
● Valgus test to assess elbow ligaments particularly in throwing athletes.
Who is most likely to experience Golfer’s Elbow?
● 0.4% of the population experience Golfer’s Elbow.
● Usually people aged between 45-64 years old.
● More common in women than men.
● Labour intensive occupations with forceful, repetitive activities such as carpentry, plumbing, and construction work.
● Prevalence of up to 3.8% to 8.2% in some occupations.
Will Golfer’s Elbow recover?
People who experience Golfer’s Elbow can expect to make a full recovery and return to work or sport with appropriate treatment and advice.
What is the best treatment for Golfer’s Elbow?
Physiotherapy treatment is ideal. We have the ability to assess and treat the symptoms associated with Golfer’s Elbow and provide the best management plan for each person considering their work, sport and lifestyle goals.
Physiotherapy aims to achieve full, pain-free movement of the elbow and wrist and includes a strengthening program to return to usual activity. Hands on treatment is beneficial for reducing symptoms and can include dry needling, soft tissue releases and joint manipulation techniques.
In some cases night splinting, counterforce bracing or elbow taping may also be useful.
If you or someone you know are experiencing pain or discomfort over your elbow, contact one of our friendly Team Members today!
Ref: Kiel J, Kaiser K. Golfers Elbow. [Updated 2023 Jun 26]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK519000/
Written by
Kalani McKenzie Tonga
Physiotherapist
PhysioMotion Cairns
Shop 5/9-11 Stokes Street
Edmonton QLD 4869