Golfer's Elbow

Though the symptoms can be pretty intense and incredibly persistent, it is an issue that is highly treatable and can usually be resolved completely. As soon as you start treatment, you will see noticeable improvements in the amount of pain and your general mobility.

The key to successful treatment comes down to following your doctor’s exact recommendations. Too often we hear from people who have ignored the symptoms and avoided getting an official diagnosis. While that is completely understandable --- after all, who wants to go on a trip to the doctor’s office if they don’t need it? --- it only delays your recovery and causes you to live with the pain even longer.

When caught early in its onset, you may need nothing more than a couple of days of rest and regular ice treatments. The longer that you have a golfer's elbow, however, the more severe your issue will become. In these more advanced cases, you may need physical therapy and medication. In the most severe of cases, you may need surgery to treat golfer's elbow.

While the severity of injury varies in any case, following a treatment plan will make a dramatic difference to your condition, if not eliminate it. 

It's vital to keep in mind that while appropriate treatment may resolve or help with the symptoms, the underlying cause will remain in many cases. Whether it is your favourite sport or the demands of your profession, it can come back again if you continue with the same activities. It is important to talk with your doctor about the options for prevention of other sports related injuries and management. A physical therapist can help you devise a workout plan and possible lifestyle changes to prevent the issue from popping up again.

Massaging your arm can help give you some relief and speed up recovery. It is crucial to note, however, that while massage can be helpful, it can’t take the place of appropriate medical care. There is also a risk of worsening the problem if the massage is not done properly.

If you’re in pain, you need to see a doctor for an appropriate diagnosis and treatment plan. While you can start with resting and icing it, it is important to see a doctor if you are in pain for more than a week or if you are suffering from chronic or severe discomfort.

While stretching can help with certain types of conditions, it’s not great for this condition, especially in the early stages.

When you stretch your wrist flexor muscles, which are connected to the medial epicondyle of the elbow (the area that is hurting right now), you can make the problem worse.

Instead of stretching, reach for nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs) to reduce swelling and pain. Most importantly, rest your arm.

After getting the diagnosis and starting with a treatment plan, your doctor might advise certain exercises or physical elbow treatments to strengthen your muscles and boost your flexibility.

As always, it is important to start with an initial doctor’s visit. If you just guess your way around at home, you can make the problem worse.

When you have this condition, it is critical to avoid certain movements. When you create tension in your forearm muscles and tendons, you risk worsening the pain and swelling. Here are a few types of movements and exercises that you will want to avoid:

• Heavy Lifting: Avoid lifting anything, especially with a pronated grip (which means having your palms facing down).
• Forearm Workouts: Exercises like pull-ups, chin-ups, push-ups, and pull-downs are especially hard on your forearms so avoid them when you’re dealing with pain.
• Curl Arm Workouts: Workouts that require you to bend your elbow while holding a weight can make the swelling worse. This includes biceps curls and hammer curls as they both put too much stress on your already inflamed tendons.