Golfer’s Elbow
What is Golfer’s Elbow?
Golfer’s elbow, or medial epicondylitis, is similar to its counterpart, tennis elbow. The primary differences between these conditions are the location of the pain and the activity that leads to injury. However, both conditions are caused by overuse of the muscles and tendons of the forearm, leading to inflammation and pain around the elbow joint.
Tennis elbow and golfer’s elbow are both forms of tendonitis. Tendons are the ends of muscles that attach to bone. Because of the force of the muscle, the points of insertion of the tendon on the bone are often pointed prominences.
The medical names of Tennis Elbow (lateral epicondylitis) and Golfer’s Elbow (medial epicondylitis) come from the names of these bony prominences where the tendons insert, and where the inflammation causes the pain. The pain of golfer’s elbow is usually at the elbow joint on the inside of the arm; a shooting sensation down the forearm is also common while gripping objects.
What causes Golfer’s Elbow?
The mechanism of this injury can vary from a single violent action to, more commonly, repetitive stress injury where an action is performed repeatedly and pain gradually develops. No one is immune from these injuries, but they are most common at the beginning of the golf season, or when the offending activity is increased in intensity or duration.
Golf is one common cause of these symptoms, but many other sport- and work-related activities can cause the same problem. Another common cause of this injury is with weekend carpenters who use hand tools on occasion.
