Golfers elbow treatment
Golfers elbow is a condition also known as ‘medial epicondylitis’, or pain of the elbow, in your wrist and forearm. It is sometimes your hand, when playing golf or just going about your daily business.
If your situation isn’t serious, your pain may sometimes disappear on its own. However, doing the same moves during a game of golf means that the likelihood of your pain returning.
Charlie Botha ITEC
Your ITEC qualified massage therapist
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Questions & Answers
Is golfer’s elbow just for golfers?
The symptoms associated with golfer’s elbow occur in any sport or activity that involves tightening of the tendon. This runs to your elbow. This stress on the muscles puts tension in your forearm which is why your painful arm is a symptom of golfers elbow.
Why does golfers elbow return?
You get golfers elbow because continually making the same moves in your body puts excessive pressure on muscles, tendons and ligaments. This means they become inflamed because of the damage caused by this repeated excess stress. This about it like this. Considering on the muscles that control your wrists and fingers are small. The pressure that you put them under when you swing a club in powerful. Causing strain. And then inflammation.
If you don’t get the problem sorted, or if you don’t rest for long enough, you’ll be facing a re-occurrence of the issue. This is because of the compound effect of the tendon and ligament strain.
Can golfers elbow be serious?
If you don’t get golfers elbow treated and it comes back repeatedly, then this can lead to a serious injury that could require surgery by a doctor. One way that could avoid this is to have a specialist massage by a golf injury specialist. Charlton at Essential Feeling is that specialist.
As a daily golfer, he can understand the pressure that your body is under and treat your muscles, tendons and fascia, accordingly. We will direct the manual therapy treatment at musculature. He will concentrate on fascial spreading around your wrist and up your arm using longitudinal and cross fibre massage strokes with his palm. He will then pin and stretch to release the tension and allow your soft tissue to reset.
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What are the symptoms?Your painful arm associated with golfer’s elbow may start suddenly or it may be more gradual, developing slowly over time.
*Pain and tenderness on the inside of your elbow. This sometimes stretches down to the inner side of your forearm and may get worse when you swing your golf club.
*Stiffness making movement, such as to bend your elbow, difficult. It might be so stiff that it may even hurt when you try to do activity such as making a fist with your fingers.
*Weakness in your hands and wrists
*Numbness or tingling sensations which may radiate into your fingers. It affects your ring finger or little fingers most often.
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Can rest help golfer’s elbow then?
Yes, it can relieve the pain. Even though some people assume that it is best helped by ignoring the pain and becoming fitter and stronger instead. However, pain is a sign from your body that something isn’t correct. What’s important is resting from any kind of activity similar to that which has caused the inflammation. Any activities which put similar pressure on the area will cause your golfer’s elbow to flare up again, even if you’re resting from golf.
For instance, racquet sports such as tennis can lead to a re-occurrence or exacerbation of your injury. In fact, when we talk of tennis elbow, the two injuries are very similar. Tennis elbow is the lateral (outside) ligament whilst golfer’s elbow is the inside, but as these connect to the same muscles, symptoms can often be mistaken and interrelated.
The same goes for throwing sports including football, archer and javelin. Weight training can be another culprit particularly if you’re curling your wrists or doing bicep exercises. If you listen to your body, and only operate as your pain allows, then this is a solid guide as to which activities are best avoided.
In theory it’s easy to avoid the above. You can just stop playing, although we know from experience that’s easier said than done if you’re naturally active. However, work activities for example plumbing, or construction and carpentry can cause the same condition. And these activities are not so easy to avoid.
So, it’s often easier, and quicker to get the tension released by a golf injury expert. Releasing the tension will reduce the compression which is creating inflammation.
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Checklist
Is there a follow up treatment after my golfers elbow massage to ensure this doesn’t come back?
Depending on how your golfer’s elbow massage session goes, we will give you some exercises to repeat after your therapy on the table ends. We will direct each exercise at your specific problem to ease tension and speed up your healing process. If you choose, you may need to come back for more than one massage. You will guide us on how your body responds to the treatment. You will be in control.
What happens if golfers elbow goes untreated?
If golfer’s elbow is left untreated, then it can eventually cause permanent disability. For instance, you could lose the ability to grip. You will suffer from chronic (ongoing) pain and you may end up with a limited range of motion in your elbow. As we mentioned above, this may also cause a stiffness, the permanent result could therefore be a permanent contracture (bend) of your elbow.
Is heat good for golfers elbow treatment?
If your golfer’s elbow injury comes on fast, then ensure you leave it for three days before you do anything with it. This is to allow your body to send the required anti-inflammatories to it without interference.
After this, if you’re still suffering, you might put some heat on the affected area. This technique may be effective because this heat increases blood flow which relaxes your muscles. As your body sends healing properties in your blood, this could help your recovery.
Book your massage to improve your golfers elbow now.
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