This is also referred to as climber’s elbow, little league elbow, pitcher’s elbow, hand shaking politician’s elbow, and rowing elbow. Medically, it is referred to as epicondylitis. Golfer’s Elbow is a form of tendonitis where the inner side of the elbow becomes inflamed. The tendons that are attached to the joints and the muscle and bones in the forearm become inflamed.

Causes of Golfer’s Elbow

Golfer’s Elbow results from the damage to the tendons and muscles that control fingers and wrist. Excess and continuous involvement of the muscles in the forearm or forceful finger and wrist movements cause pain and inflammation in the medial epicondyle of the elbow. Continual swinging, gripping, or flexing creates pulls and micro tears in the tendons, which can result in golfer’s elbow, and can lead to the formation of calcium deposits and scar tissues. Other activities such as hammering, painting, moving the mouse on a computer, chopping wood, and cooking can lead to injury along with athletics.

Symptoms of golfer’s elbow

• Weakness in the hands and wrists
• Stiffness in the elbow
• Numbness or tingling sensation running into the fingers
• Pain and tenderness on the inner part of the elbow
• Inability to bend the elbow
• Warm and inflamed elbow with fever
• Elbow appears to be deformed

Treatment of golfer’s elbow

Golfer’s elbow can be treated simply by resting until the pain subsides. Application of ice packs in the affected area is also an option to reduce inflammation and pain along with elevation and compression. You can also use a forearm strap or an elastic bandage to reduce the load on the elbow and continue with strengthening and stretching exercise when the pain is less. There are also some over-the-counter pain relievers that can be helpful in relieving the pain, if all these fail, the doctor will usually recommend cortisone injections. In situations where the signs and symptoms do not respond to these conservative treatments for more than six months or in cases of severe golfer’s elbow, surgery will be recommended. However, there are new techniques that have been developed as alternatives to surgery. These techniques include Amniotic Regenerative Cell Therapy. They can heal more efficiently and more quickly. At Blue Diamond Physical Medicine, our partner healthcare providers offer this alternative procedure to ensure that your treatment is painless. We utilize Amniotic Regenerative Cell Therapy to both heal and build new tissue for damaged or inflamed ligaments and tissues. This innovative treatment method has already been proven effective in clinical studies. You can contact us to learn more about how these procedures can help repair your golfer’s elbow.  We look forward to helping you live a pain-free life!