Golfers Elbow Vs Tennis Elbow

Relieve Your Elbow Pain Fast With Help From Airrosti

Although it is most common in the elbows and shoulders, tendonitis can develop virtually anywhere where tendons connect muscle to bone. It is important to treat signs of tendonitis as soon as you start noticing symptoms to avoid a more significant injury.

At Airrosti, we can help dramatically speed up your tendonitis recovery and provide long-lasting pain relief from both golfers elbow and tennis elbow. Our providers will take the time needed to diagnose and treat your injury at the source, so you can get back to enjoying a pain-free life.

Schedule an in-office or virtual appointment today if you are struggling with tendonitis symptoms.

Read our Medical Disclaimer here.

How To Treat Golfer’s Elbow

If you suspect you have golfer’s elbow, it’s critical to have it treated promptly, so the symptoms don’t worsen. Although milder symptoms may be manageable on your own, you should consult a professional to avoid more severe golfer’s elbow. Your physician will be able to tell you the proper procedures for handling your condition.

Most likely, your doctor will start by recommending conservative golfer’s elbow treatment options like the following.

If your golfer’s elbow is more acute and conservative treatments are not alleviating the pain, your physician may suggest a more intensive treatment. When you consult with your physician about your worsening golfer’s elbow, these could be the recommended treatment options.

• Cortisone injections: Health care providers sometimes use these powerful steroid injections to reduce inflammation and provide pain relief for severe tendonitis.
• Platelet-rich plasma therapy: This blood-spinning therapy uses the body’s natural healing system to enhance its injury response.
• Surgery: If other therapies don’t work, surgery to repair the damaged tendon is a largely successful procedure for golfer’s elbow.

What Can You Do If You Suspect You Have Either Condition

There are a variety of tests you can perform to determine if you are suffering from either condition. The most effective way to know if you have tennis elbow or golferâs elbow is to visit a doctor.

It is also worth noting that your risk for developing either condition increases as you age. Smokers and those with poor physical health also have an increased risk of developing both conditions. Those in these categories should take extra precautions to manage the amount of strain they put on their tendons.

Nobody playing golf or tennis wants to sustain an elbow injury or end up requiring surgery. Play it safe. Take sufficient rest time. Keep swinging away at your ball of choice!

If youre looking for an elbow brace, check out our post where we review a number of options on the market.

You May Like: Off The Shoulder Jumpsuit Formal

Golfers Elbow: Symptoms And Treatment

The most common symptom of golfers elbow is pain on the inside of the elbow. The pain may also extend into the forearm and wrist. Other symptoms include:

• Tenderness to touch
• Difficulty flexing the arm fully
• Pain when gripping objects

Golfers elbow is treated with a variety of methods, including rest, ice, and physical therapy. Over the counter pain killers and steroid injections can also be given in case of severe pain or swelling. Surgery is sometimes necessary to correct the problem.

Getting Back To Your Game

If you are diagnosed with one of these injuries, the most common treatment is rest.

You can also try the following treatments to reduce pain or discomfort:

• ice packs to reduce inflammation
• strengthening exercises or physical therapy
• over the counter anti-inflammatory medications such as aspirin or ibuprofen
• a soft brace to support the injured area and restrict movement

If your pain interferes with daily activities and simple things like resting, anti-inflammatories, and ice fail to relieve the pain, you should see your doctor. Many primary care physicians can treat this, but some cases will result in a referral to an orthopedic physician.

If your injury is more severe, your doctor might recommend corticosteroid injections or surgery.

Read Also: What Causes Upper Back Pain Between Shoulder Blades

What Are The Symptoms Of Medial Epicondylitis

The most common symptom of medial epicondylitis is pain along the palm side of the forearm, from the elbow to the wrist, on the same side as the little finger. The pain can be felt when bending the wrist toward the palm against resistance, or when squeezing a rubber ball.

The symptoms of medial epicondylitis may look like other medical problems or conditions. Always see your doctor for a diagnosis.

Four Common Reasons For Elbow Pain From Bicep Curls

1. Youre gripping the bar or dumbbell too tight.

Gripping the bar or dumbbell too tight activates the flexor tendon that allows your wrist to bend or curl forward. Even if your wrist maintains a neutral position throughout the curl, activating the flexor tendon in this way can lead to inner elbow pain and golfers elbow.

2. Youre not keeping your wrist in a strong, neutral position throughout the curl.

Similar to gipping the bar or dumbbell too tight, allowing your wrists to roll forward will activate the flexor tendon and can lead to inner elbow pain.

On the flip side, if you extend/bend your wrists backward during a curl, the weight will activate the extension tendons in your wrists that are attached to the outer side of your elbow, which can cause outside elbow pain and tennis elbow.

3. Youre using too much weight.

While this may seem obvious, its a bit more nuanced than you may think. Too much weight for your bicep curl may have nothing to do with your bicep strength and everything to do with your grip and forearm strength.

As mentioned above, gripping too tightly or extending or flexing your wrist during a bicep curl can lead to inner and outside elbow pain. If your lack of grip strength causes you to over-grip the bar or dumbbells, or if your inadequate forearm strength causes a flexion or extension of the wrist, the weight is probably too heavy for you to curl while maintaining proper form. Poor form can lead to elbow pain and injury.

Don’t Miss: Symptoms Of Gout In Elbow

Tennis Elbow And Golfers Elbow Treatments

Unlike a Tommy John injury or traumatic injuries that require elbow replacement surgery, tennis elbow and golfers elbow typically only require non-surgical treatments and physical therapy. Ice, rest, anti-inflammatory medications and changes to repetitive stress movements are usually enough to treat tennis elbow and golfers elbow.

If, however, your elbow pain does not subside in 6 to 12 months with rest and therapy, you should consult your orthopedic elbow specialist for steroidal or surgical options. While tennis elbow surgery and golfers elbow surgery are not common, severe injuries may require arthroscopic elbow surgery.

If you are experiencing elbow pain and have questions for our orthopedic specialist, please contact us. Were happy to assist you in any way we can or schedule a consultation with our hand, elbow and wrist specialist.

Schedule An Appointment At The Hand Center Of Louisiana

Tennis or golfers elbow can prevent you from doing your job or playing the sport you love. Both are painful and uncomfortable conditions, which limit your range of motion and decrease your strength. If ignored, these conditions can worsen and become chronic. For that reason, its important to take action as soon as symptoms are noticeable. If you think you have either condition, reach out to an expert the professionals at the Hand Center of Louisiana specialize in hand and upper extremity conditions.

Well diagnose your condition and prescribe appropriate treatments, addressing your concerns along the way. We offer a convenient one-stop shop for consultation, diagnosis, pre-surgery counseling, surgery and post-op physical therapy. If youre experiencing tennis or golfers elbow symptoms, schedule an appointment with the Hand Center of Louisiana today.

You May Like: How To Reduce Knee Inflammation

Symptoms Of Tennis Elbow

Pain may radiate from the outside of the elbow to your forearm and wrist. It can be a constant ache in the elbow area, or you may only feel it while performing activities that involve reaching, grasping or lifting. It is important to see a doctor to ensure that you receive a correct diagnosis regarding the cause of your pain.

What’s The Difference Between Golfer’s Elbow And Tennis Elbow

Both golfer’s elbow and tennis elbow are overuse injuries, which means they stem from repetitive trauma around a specific area. The results of such repeated impact are microscopic tears in the tissue, swelling, inflammation and pain around the elbow. In this sense, golfer’s elbow and tennis elbow are two different forms of elbow tendonitis.

This definition means that despite their descriptive names, you can get golfer’s or tennis elbow from just about any activity that uses the elbow excessively. These injuries can even occur from repetitive wrist movements, such as the work mechanics and plumbers do.

Here’s what causes tennis elbow or golfer’s elbow most frequently.

Because they are both forms of elbow tendonitis, it can be challenging to spot the difference between golfer’s elbow and tennis elbow. The essential detail to keep in mind when comparing tennis elbow vs. golfer’s elbow is location. If you feel pain on the outside of the elbow, it’s tennis elbow, whereas if you feel pain on the inside of the elbow, it’s golfer’s elbow.

These are the three notable differences between tennis elbow and golfer’s elbow.

You May Like: My Knee Hurts When I Bend It Backwards

Summary Golfers Elbow Vs Tennis Elbow

Golfers elbow is the inflammation at the point of insertion of the wrist flexors into the medial condyle while tennis elbow is the inflammation at the point of insertion of the extensors of the forearm into the lateral condyle. Accordingly, in golfers elbow, the medial condyle is the inflammatory focus whereas, in tennis elbow, the lateral condyle is the inflammatory focus. Thus, this is the main difference between golfers elbow and tennis elbow.

Reference:

1. Kumar, Parveen J., and Michael L. Clark. Kumar & Clark clinical medicine. Edinburgh: W.B. Saunders, 2009.

Image Courtesy:

2. Tennis Elbow By BruceBlaus Own work via Commons Wikimedia

Are Golfers Elbow And Tennis Elbow The Same

Do you ever get that tickling sensation when someone rubs your elbow? This sensation that makes you want to laugh is the polar opposite of the feeling you get when suffering from an inflamed elbow.

The pain can be so harsh it prevents you from performing the simplest of tasks with the affected arm. One thing that may aggravate the situation is the confusion involved in characterizing this pain is it Golfers Elbow or Tennis Elbow? Its hard to begin tackling this ailment if you dont even know where your problem originates.

Dont take their names too seriously you dont need to play golf or handle a tennis racket to suffer from these two conditions, although they are both possible causes.

In this article, we aim to explore what is meant by Golfers Elbow and Tennis elbow, as well as their similarities and differences. But before you can fully understand these conditions, you have to have a foundation by knowing what a tendon actually is.

You May Like: Physical Therapy For Hand And Wrist

Are There Any Tests That Should Be Done To Confirm Epicondylitis

There are investigations to exclude other causes of pain such as arthritis, when x-rays are warranted. In the case of golfers elbow, assessment of the ulnar nerve to ensure that the nerve has not been trapped at the elbow, which can be a cause of pain at that site, is worthwhile. To confirm epicondylitis and at the time of steroid injection, an ultrasound can be undertaken. It is rare for such an ultrasound not to show mucinous degeneration and often demonstrates a tear of the tendon, which is a common finding. The report of a tear in the tendon can be worrying for the patient. However, the patient can be reassured that the tear is not sinister and in fact, surgical treatment for tennis elbow or golfers elbow involves releasing of the tendons involved in other words, causing a tear in the tendon itself. Therefore a tear does not require urgent surgery to repair it, but in fact is part of the condition.

At Glenelg Orthopaedics you can be reassured that we will provide a holistic approach to the treatment of all conditions including tennis and golfers elbow, offering all options and recommending the best approach for you.

How Is Tennis Elbow Diagnosed

If you suspect that you may be suffering from tennis elbow, medical treatment is needed. Self-diagnosis can be dangerous, as tennis elbow is easily mistaken for other conditions. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, there are at least 43 different documented pathologies of the elbow joint. Many of these conditions, such as bursitis and arthritis, have symptoms that are similar to those of tennis elbow.

Tennis elbow is diagnosed based on a description of how your symptoms developed and what type of activities you engage in during a particular day. Your doctor will also consider factors such as whether youve previously injured your elbow and whether you have a history of nerve disease or rheumatoid arthritis.

During the initial examination, your doctor may ask you to perform basic tasks such as extending your arm fully straight and trying to straighten your wrists and fingers against resistance. If these tests are inconclusive, your doctor may order X-rays, an MRI scan or an EMG before making a final diagnosis. Bone scans may be done in rare cases to look for stress fractures or disease conditions that could be causing the elbow pain.

To assist your physician in obtaining an accurate diagnosis, its helpful to bring the following to your initial appointment:

How Is Tennis Elbow Treated?

Treatments for tennis elbow depend upon the severity of your pain, but may include:

Preventing Tennis Elbow Pain

TENNIS ELBOW VS. GOLFERS ELBOW

WHAT IS GOLFERS ELBOW?

You May Like: Weight Lifting Gloves For Wrist Support

What Differentiates The Two Types Of Tendonitis

So far, you have seen that these two conditions have a lot in common, which can make it hard to tell them apart. They share various similarities such as they are both types of epicondylitis, but one is medial, and the other is lateral. Their main differences include the region of pain, and the tendons and muscles involved.

The most notable differences between Golfers and Tennis Elbow are:

What Causes Elbow Pain When Lifting Weights

While chest, triceps and shoulder exercises can all put pressure on the elbow, the most common cause of elbow pain during and after lifting is improper bicep curls. If youre experiencing inner elbow pain or outside elbow pain, it could be related to one or more common mistakes in your bicep curl form. If your pain doesnt subside after fixing your form, its important to know when to see a doctor for your elbow injury.

Read Also: Keyboard Pad With Wrist Rest

Differences Of Tennis Elbow & Golfers Elbow

You dont have to be Roger Federer or Tiger Woods to have it. Even if youve never played a set of tennis, pickleball or a round of golf, you can still suffer from Tennis Elbowor Golfers Elbow. Tennis Elbow and Golfers Elbow are both overuse injuries that are caused activities that requires repetitive motion of the arm and wrist. The difference between the two conditions lies in where the elbow is inflamed. Learn the causes, symptoms and helpful tips for treating them both.

Both Tennis Elbow and Golfers Elbow are forms of epicondylitis, an inflammation of tendons that attach to the elbow. Tennis Elbow affects the lateral, or outside, epicondyle. Golfers Elbow affects the medial, or inside, epicondyle.

What Is Golfer’s Elbow

Golfer’s elbow is a painful condition of inflammation and microtears in the tendons that connect to the medial epicondyle, the bony prominence on the inside of the elbow. Because golfer’s elbow is tendonitis, “inflammation of the tendons,” around the medial epicondyle, health care professionals often call it medial epicondylitis. The tendons attached to the medial epicondyle directly impact the mobility of the muscles responsible for rotating the wrist, contracting the fingers and gripping.

Someone with golfer’s elbow will most likely experience some or all these symptoms.

• Pain and tenderness: The inner side of the elbow is painful or tender to touch. This pain may extend along the inner side of the forearm and worsen with specific motions.
• Numbness or tingling: Golfer’s elbow may bring sensations of numbness or tingling, which may radiate into one or more fingers. This condition most commonly affects the ring and little fingers.
• Aching: The inner elbow may experience an achy pain during or after activity.
• Weakness: Along with numbness or tingling, the hands and wrists may become weaker than usual.
• Stiffness: The elbow may feel stiff, resulting in pain when making a fist.

The symptoms associated with golfer’s elbow can occur suddenly or gradually increase. Typically, golfer’s elbow begins with pain and tenderness and progresses to further symptoms if left untreated. Some movements, such as swinging a golf club, could worsen the pain and exacerbate the tendonitis.

Don’t Miss: Small Itchy Bumps On Wrist

What Are The Symptoms Of Tennis / Golfer’s Elbow

Symptoms include pain on the outside or the inside of the elbow as well as the forearm and in the back of the hand. This can range from mild discomfort to severe pain. It is often made worse by using your arm, particularly for twisting movements or gripping. The pain is most likely to be felt:

• Just below your elbow, on the outside or inside of your upper forearm
• When holding a pen or other small object
• When twisting the forearm, for example to turn a door handle
• When fully extending your arm
• When lifting or bending your arm