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GOLFER’S ELBOW: CAUSES, SYMPTOMS & TREATMENTS

Golfer's elbows are known by many other names, including baseball elbow, forehand tennis elbow, suitcase elbow.

By Carel JoeyPublished 2 years ago 4 min read
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Golfer's elbow

What is Golfer’s elbow?

The golfer's elbow is an inflammation or inflammation of the tendon. Tendons are tough tissue that connects your elbows to your wrists and helps you bend your wrists toward your palms. In short, the condition is a kind of tendinitis. This is mainly caused by tendon damage or abuse, resulting in small tears. Tendon damage that causes elbow pain causes inflammation and therefore pain. Golfer's elbows are known by many other names, including baseball elbow, forehand tennis elbow, suitcase elbow. In medicine, it is called medial epicondylitis.

Causes of Golfer’s Elbow

A golfer's elbow occurs when excessive force is applied to the wrist and fingers while bending the palm toward the wrist. Repeated stress causes injuries and damage to the tendons that control the wrists and fingers. Such repetitive wrist movements are especially common in athletic activities such as golf. Other examples where golfer's elbows are common include:

  • Javelin throw
  • Participate in archery
  • Play with a tennis racket that is too short or too tight
  • Use a spin serve or hit a tennis ball with excessive force
  • Cut down a tree with an axe
  • Use a chainsaw
  • Frequent use of other hand tools such as carpentry, plumbing, construction work
  • Lifting heavy loads
  • Lack of warm-up exercise before engaging in the above sports
  • Wrist and shoulder muscles weak

Risk factors of Golfer’s elbow

The following are the possible risk factors for this condition.

  • Age: People over 40 are relatively susceptible to symptoms.
  • Obesity: Obese people are prone to tendon injuries.
  • Lifestyles: Lifestyles such as smoking can also make people more susceptible to illness.

Symptoms of Golfer’s elbow

Some of the most common golfer's elbow symptoms are:

Golfers' elbow pain and tenderness are caused by the inside of the elbow. However, it can extend to the inside of the forearm. These symptoms are exacerbated by excessive repetitive movements of the injured elbow.

  • Weakness in an injured elbow is one of the most common symptoms of this condition.
  • Elbow stiffness is another obvious sign of this condition. It may be difficult to move, such as holding a fist or holding a rubber ball.
  • Tingling pain and numbness can extend to one or more fingers, especially the little and ring fingers.

Diagnosis for Golfer’s Elbow

The diagnostic process for a condition typically follows the following steps:

  • Physical exam: The doctor may place the arm on a flat surface with the palm up. Next, you will be asked to bend your elbows and raise your forearms while applying pressure to your arms. You are most likely to feel pain in the medial epicondyle on the inside of the elbow.
  • Contact: Your doctor may ask you about your daily activities and if you have encountered any obstacles in completing them.
  • Medical examination: A physical examination is usually sufficient to diagnose a golfer's elbow, but doctors may recommend an x-ray of the arm to confirm the condition.

Treatment for Golfer’s elbow

The following are some of the medial epicondylitis treatment options:

  • Place ice packs on the inner and forearms to reduce inflammation
  • Take over-the-counter (OTC) analgesics and anti-inflammatory drugs
  • Local injection of corticosteroids
  • Local injection of platelet-rich plasma
  • Wear gold elbow braces
  • Stretching exercises and eccentric strengthening exercises.
  • Physiotherapy

Wrist extension: Place the affected hand and table comfortably on your lap. Make sure your wrists hang on the table or at the end of your knees. Then place a pound of weight on your hanging hand and gradually raise and lower it as often as your doctor recommends.

Finger Extensions: Place all fingertips very close together and wear a rubber band around them. Pull your fingertips apart as slowly as the rubber band allows.

Ball Crush: Place a soft rubber ball in the affected palm. Grip the ball and make a fist around it. Alternately squeeze the ball and release. Repeat this movement as often as recommended by your doctor.

Forearm pronation and supination: Place the affected arm on a table or knee. Hold a heavy object, such as a hammer, on the affected arm to keep your palm parallel to your body. Rotate your arm, making sure your palm is facing down. Repeat this step in the palm of your hand.

Prevention of Golfer’s elbow

Here are some steps you can take to prevent recurrence and poor health:

  • Strengthen weak muscles and tendons on wrists, forearms and shoulders.
  • Maintains the correct posture when lifting heavy objects or repeating hand movements.
  • Maintains accurate body mechanics when lifting or moving heavy objects. If you are playing a sport that requires repetitive and powerful hand movements, make sure you are using the right technique.
  • Use equipment suitable for the sport you are playing.
  • Before the physical activity, do warm-up exercises to contract your muscles and prepare for repetitive and powerful movements.
  • A gentle stretch of the forearm muscles before and after repetitive exercise.
  • Understand when your body needs rest.

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