Golfers Elbow

Golfers Elbow

Golfer's elbow (medial epicondylitis) presents as pain along the inner part of the elbow and can be caused by a repetitive downward movement of the wrist (wrist flexion), or by a direct injury\blow to the area. Neck problems can also refer pain to the elbow and sometimes arthritic changes within the joint can result in elbow pain.

Golfer's elbow presents in a few ways:-

Pain and tenderness along the inner part of the elbow.
Pain with repeated wrist flexion movements and possibly elbow pronation movements, i.e. bending the wrist down and twisting the forearm in.
Pain when gripping.
Weakness of the wrist muscle.

Physiotherapy can help Golfer's elbow in the following ways:-

Advise active rest of the area, by either avoiding the painful motion, wearing a wrist resting splint of an elbow strap.
Reduce pain and inflammation with icing and electrotherapy.
Restore normal muscle and tendon extensibility and strength with massage, exercises and stretches.
Correct posture, movements patterns and sports techniques to eliminate the causative factors.