What is golfer’s elbow and how do you treat it?

what is golfer's elbow

Everyone has heard of medial epicondylitis, right? Well, probably not. But what you may have heard of is its common term: golfer’s elbow.

Golfer’s elbow is one of the many forms of chronic pain that can affect the soft tissue in your elbow. When you have golfer’s elbow, it can hurt to bend your elbow and it may also affect your grip strength. This not only makes it difficult to golf, but it also affects your ability to perform a variety of daily tasks, such as simply changing your shirt.

What exactly is golfer’s elbow?

Golfer’s elbow is a form of inflammation and tenderness in the muscles that run along the inside of your elbow and forearm. Repetitive stress to these muscles from physical activity can cause irritation and inflammation that leads to chronic pain. While you don’t have to be a golfer to experience this condition, it’s known as golfer’s elbow because golfing frequently causes irritation in this region.

Treatment for golfer’s elbow

Treatment for golfer’s elbow varies from person to person depending on the severity of the pain and other factors, like age and medical history. However, in many cases you can benefit from physical therapy. 

A physical therapist can guide you through a personalized treatment routine to help you reduce pain and improve your range of motion using methods like:

  • Gentle stretches
  • Therapeutic exercises
  • Soft tissue mobilization
  • Joint mobilization
  • Posture guidance
  • Patient education

When you visit a physical therapist for treatment, they will perform an examination to determine the cause of your pain. Once they have located the source of pain in your arm, they will work on guiding you through a personalized treatment routine to help you recover.

Visit Panther Physical Therapy for golfer’s elbow treatment

Do you have pain in the inside of your forearm stemming from your elbow? You may have golfer’s elbow. Our physical therapists at Panther Physical Therapy can examine your condition and guide you through a personalized treatment routine to help you manage the pain and improve your range of motion. Contact our team for more information about golfer’s elbow or to schedule an initial appointment.