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Golfer's Elbow
Golfer’s elbow (medial epicondylitis), in contrast to tennis elbow, is a type of tendonitis that affects the inner (or “medial”) part of your elbow. It develops on the inside of the elbow where tendons from the front of your forearm attach to your upper arm bone. Similar to tennis elbow, the pain and inflammation is caused by tiny tears in these tendons, but the discomfort is usually felt in the bony bump on the inside of the elbow (the medial epicondyle). Golfer’s elbow is caused by repetitive motions that bend your palm forward towards your wrist, like swinging a golf club or throwing a baseball (hence its other name, baseball elbow). However, many activities that involve the following can result in golfer’s elbow:
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Repetitive bending of the palm forward (like other racquet sports)
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Throwing motions (like baseball or football)
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Repetitive forceful gripping and clenching of the fingers (including improper technique while lifting weights)
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Repeated twisting at the wrist (like using a screwdriver)
Symptoms of this condition include pain and tenderness on the inside of the elbow, weakness in the wrist and hand, as well as stiffness, numbness, or tingling along the forearm and hand. If left untreated, golfer’s elbow can lead to chronic pain, loss of grip strength, and a limited range of motion at the elbow.
What can physiotherapy do?
We have many different tools at our disposal to treat this issue. The first step is identifying the underlying cause, as there is often dysfunction at the elbow or neck that have “set you up to fail” during the activity that caused the pain.
Treatments involve restoring normal function of the joint, using manual therapy and exercise, and local modalities such as:
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IMS
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Ultrasound
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Shockwave
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Acupuncture
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Cryotherapy
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Bracing
When the area is responding well, we will direct you to exercises that are aimed to recondition the area and make it more resilient for a sustainable positive outcome that allows you to participate in your sport or the game of life without restrictions.