Top tips for golfer’s elbow sufferers

Written By Jana Mackova
 

Please note: All exercises and advice is shared for educational purposes only, and does not constitute medical advice. Please speak to your healthcare practitioner before beginning any new exercises.

Did you know that golfer’s elbow usually occurs between the ages of 40-60? 

Golfer’s elbow is a condition that causes pain on the inside of your elbow as a result of inflammation & micro trauma to the muscles that attach here. The pain might spread into your forearm and wrist. 

1.     Positivity is key

Pain can be scary, unpleasant and depressing. However, rarely is it serious and 90% of golfer’s elbow recover without needing a scan or surgery. 

2.     Rest & ice

Golfer’s elbow is caused by repetitive overuse of your forearm musculature, this in turn causes inflammation which causes pain, swelling and warm sensation over the area. Ice pack will help calm the inflammation down allowing you to heal quicker. Along with this it is best to give yourself a little rest from your usual sporting activities or repetitive motions of the forearm by decreasing the frequency/intensity of your sports/hobbies.

3.     Stretching exercises

Stretching exercises help regain the elasticity within the forearm musculature and start to restore the function within these muscles. Try do these as often as you can remember.

Stretch:

·      

  1. Position your arm so that it is in line with your shoulder

  2. Bend the wrist so that the fingers are pointing up towards the ceiling and hold this position    

  3. With your other hand hold on to the top of the fingers and pull gently towards yourself

  4. Only go as far as comfortable and hold for 20s

  5. Repeat 3x per day or prior to sporting activities 

4.     Strengthening exercises

Once your pain has subsided, perform these easy strengthening exercises to start to rehabilitate the muscles within your forearm and be able to restore strength and flexibility to allow greater endurance during your favourite sports/activities. 

Some common strengthening exercises for golfer’s elbow are shown above using a hand resistance band, trigger point ball and a light weight.

5.     Check your form and equipment

Whatever your sports/hobbies are ask an instructor to check your form to avoid overload on the muscles and repetitive flare ups. It is also important to make sure you are using the right equipment (e.g. consider upgrading to lighter graphite clubs in golfing irons, make sure your tennis racket fits you).

So stay positive and if you have any doubts, make an appointment at Bodycare Chiropractic to get checked out!

 
Jana Mackova