Golfer’s Elbow (Medial Epicondylitis)

By: Kelsie Mazur, DPT

Golfer's elbow, also medically known as Medial Epicondylitis, is a condition that involves pain and inflammation in the tendons that attach to the bony bump on the inside of the elbow. Picture this: you're swinging your club (or maybe just a hammer or racket) with gusto, and suddenly, bam! Pain and tenderness crash the party at the inner side of your elbow... or pain can present itself many days thereafter. That's golfer's elbow for you—when the tendons in your forearm decide they've had enough of your swinging shenanigans and protest with inflammation and discomfort.

Although commonly known as “Golfer’s Elbow”, few people develop this condition from sports alone. Golfer’s elbow most often arises from overuse and repetitive activity from domestic or occupational demands. This repetitive use can result in an inflammatory process that causes pain with gripping, carrying objects, and using the involved arm for daily activities.

While golfer's elbow might threaten to spoil your fun, there's hope on the horizon. With a little TLC and some expert guidance from a Physical Therapist, you can kick that pain to the curb and get back to swinging, gripping, and doing all the things you love with ease.

Research indicates that physical therapy alone has been effective in alleviating pain, eliminating the need for injections, surgeries, or other medical interventions. Some studies, have even suggested that physical therapy offers superior long-term benefits compared to alternative treatments.

However, it's essential to understand that achieving relief may require patience. Since this injury often stems from repetitive use over time, rehabilitation demands dedication, perseverance, and a commitment to improvement. Trusting the rehabilitation process is imperative to finding pain relief and being completely pain free.

Your therapist will provide thorough education about the injury and outline your recovery prognosis. Additionally, they will discuss potential modifications to your activities and lifestyle that could expedite your healing process. These recommendations will be complemented by a tailored home exercise program designed to support your rehabilitation journey.

At Wattage, a specialized physical therapy treatment for a patient with elbow issues might look like this:

Manual Therapy

Specialized manual therapy techniques may be used to assist to decrease pain and allow you to function better.

Dry Needling

Dry needling is an amazing modality to assist with reducing built up tension in the forearm muscles and tendon(s), allowing greater chance for strengthening and loading the tendon.

Strengthening/Loading Tendons

Any type of tendonitis or chronic tendon pain like golfer’s elbow requires what we call the “Gold Standard” of care, which is a fancy term for what research recommends to help abolish golfer’s elbow. The Gold Standard treatment for golfer’s elbow (after a little TLC with manual therapy and dry needling) is strategically loading the tendon and strengthening the surrounding muscles with exercises.

If you or someone you know is suffering from the long term effects of Golfer’s elbow or elbow/wrist pain, contact me, Kelsie at kelsie@wattagept.com to schedule a free physical therapy screening to determine whether an individualized physical therapy program is best for you.