Guide To Golfer's Elbow

Medial epicondylitis is commonly called golfer's elbow or thrower's elbow. Inflammation, discomfort, and irritability occur in the tendons on the inside of the forearm, resulting in this condition. Golfer's elbow is caused by overuse of the hand, wrist, forearm, and elbow. People with this problem are often seen to be swinging a golf club or other things repeatedly. In addition to using a computer or doing yard labour, this might lead to the condition. It's especially dangerous for athletes who do a lot of overhead work, as well as for carpenters and plumbers. In males, golfer's elbow is more frequent beyond the age of 35 than it is in younger ones. Unlike tennis elbow, it is not as frequent (lateral epicondylitis). For those suffering from medial epicondylitis, a physiotherapist at Phoenix Physio Clinic can assist alleviate discomfort and increase the elbow's range of motion and strength.


What Is Golfer's Elbow (Medial Epicondylitis)?

Golfer's elbow (medial epicondylitis) arises when the tendons on the inside of the forearm become irritated, inflamed, and painful as a result of frequent usage of the hand, wrist, and forearm. The soft tissue that connects a muscle to a bone is known as a tendon. As the name suggests, golfer's elbow is caused by a set of muscles that flex (bend) and pronate (turn or hold) the wrist and forearm such that the palm is pointing downward.

The humerus bone is attached to the muscle group via a shared sheath (the bone in your upper arm). Stabilising the elbow and allowing wrist mobility are both achieved by this muscle group's distribution over the elbow and wrist. The medial epicondyle, a bony protrusion on the inside of the elbow, gets its name from its location. This hump, where your forearm muscles' tendons attach to the bone, often causes discomfort. The tendon may become inflamed and painful if it is subjected to repeated stress. These stresses may cause the tendon to break away from the bone if they are not treated. Two-joint tendons have a greater risk of damage.


Golfer's Elbow

How Does It Feel?

People with golfer's elbow may experience:

  • Pain along the inside of the forearm with wrist, hand, or elbow movements.
  • Pain or numbness and tingling that radiates from the inside of the elbow into the hand and fingers when gripping or squeezing.
  • Tenderness to touch and swelling along the inside of the forearm.
  • Weakness in the hand and forearm when gripping objects.
  • Elbow stiffness.

How Is It Diagnosed?

A complete assessment by our physiotherapist will be performed. Every symptom you're experiencing will be discussed in detail. Your physiotherapist could:

  • Perform strength and motion tests on your wrist, forearm, and elbow.
  • Ask about your job duties and hobbies.
  • Evaluate your posture.
  • Check for any muscle imbalances and weakness that can occur along the path from your shoulder blade to your hand.
  • Gently touch your elbow in specific areas to find out which tendon or tendons may be inflamed.
  • Conduct special muscle tests as needed, such as bending the wrist or rotating the forearm with resistance to confirm a diagnosis.

How Physiotherapist Can Help

Golfer's elbow should be treated as soon as possible. An untreated inflamed tendon might rip because it lacks an adequate blood supply. One of the most dangerous consequences of this is possible.

When it comes to golfer's elbow, your physiotherapist will work with you to design a treatment plan that is tailored to your unique condition and objectives. Among the options for your individualised treatment plan are:

Pain management: Our physiotherapist will assist you in recognising and avoiding any unpleasant movements. Inflamed tendons may heal if they are avoided. They may utilise or suggest that you see:

  • Shockwave Therapy
  • Interferential Current Therapy
  • UltrasoundUltrasound
  • Dry Needling
  • Cold Laser Therapy
  • Bracing or splinting

In extreme circumstances, you may have to stop working or participating in sports if you are still experiencing discomfort. Continuing to engage in these activities might slow down your recuperation. Opioids, for example, are seldom prescribed by physiotherapists since they have extensive training in non-pharmacological methods of pain treatment.


Manual Therapy: Muscles may be rehabilitated using manual treatments by our physical therapist. Included on this list:

  • Mildly moving the joints.
  • A massage focusing on the soft tissues.
  • Stretches for the elbow, forearm, and wrist.
  • The use of various manual stretching and other thoracic spine-relaxing treatments may help. It's possible that muscular imbalances throughout the elbow-related chain of muscles and connective tissue might influence these locations.

Range-of-motion Exercises: You will learn mobility exercises and self-stretches to help your elbow and wrist maintain proper movement.


Strengthening Exercises: As your discomfort subsides, our physiotherapist will advise you on the best activities for you to do. After completing a formal physical therapy programme, they will build a home-exercise regimen for you to continue. Maintaining your arm, forearm, elbow, and hand strength may be achieved by doing these exercises on a regular basis. If you have a medical issue, the workouts they recommend will be tailored to your needs. The following are examples of possible workouts:

  • Isometric exercises (muscle contractions).
  • Resistance exercises to challenge weaker muscles (using weights, medicine balls, or resistance bands).

Patient Education: Understanding your ailment and its likely origins is an essential element of recovery. Your physiotherapist may advise you to alter the way you carry out certain activities. They may also give you advice on how to improve your sports technique in order to avoid injury. It's possible to lessen the strain on your forearm tendons by making little changes to your golf swing, throwing technique, or job duties.


How to Prevent Golfer’s Elbow

Preventing medial epicondylitis may be as simple as being conscious of your everyday activities and being aware of your risk of injury. Individuals have to do the following:

  • Use proper form and technique when doing repetitive work tasks or sports movements, like golf swings.
  • Maintain shoulder, forearm, and wrist muscle strength.
  • Perform gentle forearm muscle stretches before and after performing tasks.
  • Use proper posture and body mechanics when lifting heavy objects to reduce joint strain.


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How Physiotherapy Helps with Knee Pain

The knee joint is one of the most active joints in the human body, which implies that knee discomfort is a typical occurrence. It has the power to sabotage even the most mundane aspects of everyday existence. It only has the ability to do two things: flex and extend. Bones, cartilage, tendons, and ligaments make up the intricate structure, all of which are prone to damage, injury, and degeneration. Physiotherapy is one of the quickest and safest methods to regain your strength and get back on the road to recovery if you are suffering from knee discomfort.

Spinal Osteoarthritis

Low back discomfort affects up to 80% of the population. In osteoarthritis, cartilage degeneration is a frequent source of low back discomfort (tissue covering the joint surfaces at the ends of bones).

What Is Dry Needling?

It's possible that you've heard about dry needling and wondered what precisely it is or whether it's a therapy that may benefit you. Even though dry needling's name may seem eerie, it is safe, non-invasive, and often helpful in treating musculoskeletal conditions. Physiotherapists who are trained and qualified in dry needling may provide the treatment. Neuromuscular discomfort and movement limitations may be alleviated by using a small monofilament needle that penetrates the skin and addresses underlying trigger points in the muscles. What is a "trigger point"? It's a local contraction or tight band of muscle fiber that disrupts function, restricts range of motion and causes discomfort or soreness in the affected area. Increasing blood flow and decreasing both local and referred pain are all possible outcomes of dry needling a damaged muscle or trigger point.

All You Need to Know About Tennis Elbow

Inflammation of the tendons that connect the forearm muscles to the outside of the elbow is known as tennis elbow. Overuse of the forearm muscles and tendons, as well as those surrounding the elbow joint, is a common cause of this condition. Lateral elbow discomfort or lateral epicondylitis, which is not necessarily connected to tennis, is sometimes known as "tennis elbow." Repetitive muscular usage is a common cause of tendonitis in tennis players. Tennis elbow affects half of all tennis players at some point in their careers. Approximately 1 to 3 percent of the population in Canada is estimated to suffer from tennis elbow (Canada). Between the ages of 30 and 50, it is most common. A source that you can trust.

Return to play after treating acute muscle injuries in elite football players.

Return to play after treating acute muscle injuries in elite football players. 2021-06-15 Morgan JPM, Hamm M, Schmitz C, Brem MH. Return to play after treating acute muscle injuries in elite football players with radial extracorporeal shock wave therapy. J Orthop Surg Res. 2021 Dec 7;16(1):708. doi: 10.1186/s13018-021-02853-0. PMID: 34876172; PMCID: PMC8650394.

Dose-related effects of radial extracorporeal shock wave therapy for knee osteoarthritis: a randomized controlled trial

Over 13.000 DolorClast® shock-wave devices are installed worldwide and are continuously employed in conducting scientific research. In fact, with 34 out of 62 randomized Controlled Trials listed in the PEDro database, the DolorClast® devices are used in more studies than any other ESWT device. In this list of clinical evidence, the following study triumphs, due to the fact that it demonstrates the extent to which treatment outcomes are dose-dependent.