Golfer's Elbow — a Disease with an Aristocratic Ring
Previously I wrote that tennis elbow is not only a problem for tennis players — well, the same is true for golfer's elbow: many people suffer pain from golfer's elbow having at most seen a golf club on TV. This inflammation can arise from the most everyday movements. Its treatment must be taken seriously, because simple actions like [...]
Earlier I already wrote that tennis elbow is not only a problem for tennis players — and the same goes for golfer's elbow: many suffer pain from golfer's elbow even though in their life they have at most seen a golf club on a TV screen. This inflammation can develop from even the most everyday movements. Its treatment must be taken seriously because simple movements, like raising and lowering the arm, can torment you for many months. Recovery takes a long time even with treatment.
Tennis elbow or golfer's elbow
In your body, muscles attach to bones via tendons. If you overuse a muscle group, then
- small tears can develop in the tendons,
- the periosteum (the bone covering) can be injured,
- inflammation occurs at the muscles' attachment points.
The common feature of tennis elbow and golfer's elbow is that both result from overuse and are equally painful.
In tennis elbow, the inflammatory pain affects the tendons on the outer side of the elbow and is related to the muscles that extend (straighten) the wrist and fingers.
In golfer's elbow, the affected muscles are responsible for flexion, so the inflammation and pain are on the inner side of the elbow.
How does golfer's elbow develop, and what are the main symptoms?
The main symptom of golfer's elbow is pain where the tendons of the forearm muscles attach to the "bony bump" on the inner side of the elbow.
Golfer's elbow is the result of overloading the muscles. Repetitive, prolonged movements are usually among the triggering causes. It is common among certain athletes — especially golfers, javelin throwers, rock climbers, and handball players. At home it often arises during tasks around the back, during construction or renovation. Triggering activities include hammering, painting, using a screwdriver, but also prolonged typing or even mouse use, etc.
Factors that increase the risk of developing golfer's elbow:
- unilateral, prolonged or repetitive strain
- imbalance of forearm muscle strength
- poorly executed training
- low-quality sports equipment
- insufficient warm-up
- muscle weakness
- overly tight muscles.
How can golfer's elbow be treated effectively?
The most important thing is to stop the activity that caused the golfer's elbow symptoms — and stop it until full recovery, otherwise the healing process can take many months. If the pain is particularly severe, the affected arm must not be used at all: not for opening doors, nor for carrying shopping bags.
You can also relieve the pain caused by golfer's elbow with the so-called RICE method. The RICE acronym stands for
- rest,
- ice,
- compression,
- and elevation
derived from the English words Rest – Ice – Compression – Elevation.
This method is considered the "basic treatment" for all muscle and tendon injuries and for acute inflammation, including golfer's elbow.
If you rest your arm and let the body's healing processes do their work (i.e., you stop the activity that caused the inflammation), golfer's elbow will usually heal on its own in a few months to half a year. The problem is that few people can afford to take such a long rest.
Healing can be accelerated with various physiotherapy methods. These support and speed up the healing process and thereby reduce pain. Each method works differently, so it's worth combining several approaches.
Effective anti-inflammatory and healing-promoting methods
