Golfer's elbow

Golfer's elbow is a painful condition affecting the inner part of the upper forearm/elbow and is often made worse by gripping/squeezing or performing repetitive wrist movements. 

Physiotherapy can help by advising ways to manage painful activity and guiding you on suitable exercises.
                                     

Why do I feel pain?

The pain may be due to several different issues, which could include microscopic tears, inflammation or weakness in the muscle(s) or tendon attaching to the elbow joint.

It is also known as medial epicondylitis. In most cases, symptoms get better within a year, however physiotherapy can help with managing and treating the condition.  
 

Who does it affect?

It most commonly affects people aged between 30-50, and is more common in women than men. Smokers, and those who are overweight are also more at risk.

It can come on by itself, but it is usually associated with a change in the amount of activity you are doing with your arm, or can be due to a trauma to the area, such as bumping your elbow.

Rehabilitation

Golfer's elbow can be very painful and make daily activities difficult. Fortunately, it does not routinely require X-rays or scans, and will get better over a few months with lifestyle changes and exercises.

Your physiotherapist may give you advice regarding changes to make in your day to day activities, work and lifestyle. For example, when performing lifting tasks, it is often more comfortable to do this with your palms down rather than up.

If you are affected at work by your symptoms, or off work completely, you may be referred for an assessment by an occupational therapist >.

Your physiotherapist will also give you some exercises to do regularly at home to help gradually build up strength and movement in your elbow and wrist in ways that are important to you. It is vital that you do these exercises regularly and frequently over the course of several weeks or months, as it can take some time for your elbow to improve. It is normal for these exercises to provoke your elbow pain and it is safe to continue with these exercises. However, if you are finding the pain is not an acceptable level to you or concerned at all, then please discuss this with your physiotherapist.

You may find taking pain relief or using an anti-inflammatory cream/gel applied directly to the painful area helpful. You may wish to speak to your GP or a pharmacist if you are unsure what to try, as pain relief may affect other conditions you have or interact with other medications you are taking.        

See below for some exercises for golfer's elbow. Aim to start off with a manageable number of repetitions, two or three times per day, and increase the difficulty as time goes on.

If you find that your pain is getting worse, try reducing the exercises until things settle down a little, then build back up again gradually.