Golfer’s elbow – it can be the scourge of a golfer’s life, and is unfortunately one of the most commonly experienced injuries in golf. If you’ve ever experienced it, you know the pain this annoying injury can cause – and how frustratingly long it can take to treat. Here’s what you need to know to prevent golfer’s elbow from derailing your game.
What is golfer’s elbow?
Golfer’s elbow is an overuse injury that commonly happens to golfers (although it can occur in anyone, even if you don’t play golf). The muscle on the inside of the elbow becomes overly fatigued and inflamed, causing pain, stiffness and difficulty holding your club correctly and swinging it. If left untreated, it can lead to long-term weakness and stiffness that will certainly impact your ability to play golf.
Symptoms may include:
- Pain inside your elbow
- Pain when you make a fist
- Elbow stiffness
- A feeling of weakness, or tingling in the fingers or arm
- Pain upon swinging a golf club
The symptoms may come on gradually, or suddenly, and may also occur during activities other than golf, such as turning a doorknob, lifting weights or shaking hands.
What causes golfers elbow?
Any repetitive action can cause injuries over time, particularly if the muscle is tight, you haven’t warmed up properly, or your muscles aren’t strong enough to stand the repeated strain you’re placing upon them. The forceful rotation and impact of swinging a golf club places a lot of stress on the elbow tendons, and can lead to golfer’s elbow developing over time, simply through overuse. It can also be caused by holding your club in an anatomically inefficient or incorrect way – such as with an overly bent elbow or wrist. Golfer’s elbow is also more likely if you have poor wrist and arm strength, an incorrect grip, if you play too often or if you neglect to warm up properly.
How can I treat golfer’s elbow?
Cure
Advice from a physiotherapist is always recommended, as he or she will be able to manage and ease your symptoms and guide your return to playing. This is particularly important to prevent minor conditions from turning into more severe and chronic ones if left untreated.
In the initial, very painful stages, you may simply have to put your golf clubs away for a while and give your elbow time to settle down and heal. Icing the elbow may help if you have pain or swelling after using it, and it’s wise to rest the elbow until the pain is gone. Over-the-counter pain relievers may also be necessary in the initial stages of the injury.
If it’s still painful after a few weeks, you might have to undergo a program of stretching and strengthening exercises prescribed by your physio. Progressive loading of the tendon has been shown to be effective in reducing pain and symptoms – but by guided by the professionals. An elbow brace might also be useful for a period of time to reduce tendon and muscle strain.
As the pain goes away, gradually return to your usual activities – with an emphasis on ‘gradual’. If you try to rush back too quickly, you’ll often end up setting off the injury again, and finding yourself back at square one.
If the pain doesn’t go away in response to conservative treatment, you might have to consider other options such as cortisone injections or surgery (although this is fairly unlikely).
Prevention
The better way to deal with golfer’s elbow is to prevent it from occurring in the first place.
Try these strategies:
- Stretch your wrists and arms before and after you play a round (ask your physio or a golf pro if you’re unsure what stretches to do)
- Work on strengthening the forearm and wrist muscles
- Make sure your grip is neutral and that you’re holding the club a little bit looser than you normally would
- Apply a larger grip to your clubs
- Use lighter clubs
- Make sure you are using the correct club length for you
- If you start to notice niggling pain in your elbow, ice it until it the pain has gone, and see a physio to help prevent it becoming a bigger problem
- See a golf pro every so often to get a technique tune up, as correct technique is one of the biggest factors in preventing injuries
- Be aware of how much you are using your elbow, both in playing golf and everyday life, and try not to overuse it
General techniques on preventing injuries include:
- Warm up thoroughly before every round you play. A good warm up should include exercises to raise your heart rate, some applicable stretches and some practice shots
- Do a regular strengthening and stretching program to improve your strength, mobility and stability
- Always deal with niggles before they become bigger problems
Click here to read about other common golf injuries – and how to prevent them.
