Golfer’s Elbow

Rooted in overuse and repetitive movement, golfer’s elbow isn’t just for a condition caused by swinging a golf club too many times.  Racket sports, rock climbing, throwing, weight training, even keyboard use and manual labor, as well as a host of other such activities that require repetitive gripping motions and wrist flexion can often lead to golfer’s elbow. 

Much like tennis elbow, golfer’s elbow refers to an injury that affects the inside of the elbow, or medial epicondyle, rather than the outer part, known as the lateral epicondyle. Medial epicondylitis, as it is also referred to, causes pain, inflammation, and tenderness where the tendons of your forearm muscles attach to the inside of your elbow at the bony bump. The pain may develop gradually over time and spread along the median nerve. The most common symptom of golfer’s elbow is pain along the palm side of the forearm, from the elbow to the wrist, along the same side as the median nerve (the same side as the little finger on your hand).

Oftentimes, resting your affected forearm, using an elbow brace and physical therapy as part of a comprehensive rehabilitation plan will alleviate the pain and symptoms and strengthen the impaired tissues. If the condition is deemed to be chronic following conservative treatment, it may be necessary to surgically recess and release the portion of the injured tendon through a minimally invasive surgical procedure using either arthroscopic or endoscopic techniques.