Golfer’s Elbow, aka Medial Epicondylitis, is a niggly condition that affects not only the everyday golfer taking a swing, but those involved in racquet sports, (e.g tennis/squash), throwing, and activities that involve gripping (e.g driving). This may be due to repetitive stress or excessive loading which can build up around the tendons and muscles on the inside of the elbow and forearm.
For some people, you may not see this coming. Over time, what may begin as a low level irritation can soon turn into a pattern of pain and discomfort from the stressed structures, which can lead to pain with grip, weakness in grip and sensitivity to touch. If this is your dominant arm then this can be quite limiting in day to day activities.
But alas! All is not lost! It may just be that your grip technique is off, and this in turn has put low level undue stress to the inside elbow. For example, a lot of amateur golfers can have poor swing mechanics at impact, which can lead to excessive load on the forearm muscles. Simple swing modifications may be all that you need to become pain free. For sports that require a lot of throwing (e.g Cricket or baseball), technique needs to address the power exerted from the ground up through the body. Rest from your aggravating activity, and icing around the elbow may be advised in the first instance to allow any inflammation to settle and structures affected to begin their repair process. A graded and progressive strength programme for the muscles of the shoulder, arm and forearm may also be required.
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