Tennis elbow and golfer's elbow - differences and treatment
After massaging along the muscles in the dotted area, the muscle is rolled with the palms of the hands across the lengthwise direction.
Do you have elbow pain? Tennis elbow and golfer's elbow are common overuse injuries that can cause pain and stiffness in the forearm. Here we go over the differences between them and how to best treat your pain to return to a pain-free everyday life.
What is tennis elbow and golfer's elbow?
Tennis elbow, or tennis arm as it is sometimes called, can be caused by overexerting the extensor muscles of the forearm. It becomes difficult to extend the hand, grasp and lift objects. The pain is located on the outside of the elbow. It is not only tennis players who can be affected, but anyone who makes repeated wrist movements, such as paddle tennis, working in front of a computer and lifting with a straight wrist.
Golf elbow, or golf arm, is caused by overexerting the flexor muscles of the forearm. The pain is located on the inside of the elbow. Repeated movements where you bend the wrist and grip tightly, such as when playing golf, screwing or holding heavy objects, can cause the problem.
Symptoms of tennis elbow and golfer's elbow - how do you know which injury you have?
Problems with tenderness, weakness in grip strength and stiffness usually come on gradually over a long period of time but can also come on suddenly if you have overexerted yourself or worked with monotonous movements. Pain is experienced when gripping hard or when the wrist is extended - tennis elbow. Pain when the wrist is bent inwards when gripping hard - golfer's elbow.
Treatment - how to relieve the pain?
To relieve pain, you can rest from activities that aggravate it, but it is important not to completely abstain from movement. In acute pain, an ice pack can be helpful to reduce inflammation. Massage with Hot & Cold increases blood flow and relieves stiffness, while a support tape under the painful point can relieve the tendon attachment and reduce discomfort.
To treat tennis and/or golf elbow, you can focus on stretching the extensor muscles in tennis elbow and the flexor muscles in golf elbow. Extend your arm and bend your wrist downward in tennis elbow, and upward in golf elbow. To strengthen your wrist, you can try exercises such as wringing a towel, as if you were wringing water out of it. If the pain persists for a longer period of time, it is a good idea to seek medical attention for more advanced treatment and an individually tailored exercise program.
Frequently asked questions about tennis elbow and golfer's elbow
How long does it take to recover from tennis elbow or golfer's elbow?
After 3-6 weeks, many people start to notice improvements if they have actively treated the pain. The sooner you start treatment, the faster the recovery will be. But of course, the injury will take longer depending on how serious it is. In the case of severe tennis elbow, it can take several months to recover. Factors that affect this include rehab exercises, age, health condition, etc. If the symptoms persist after 6 months, you may need to seek medical attention for investigation and treatment.
Can you exercise with tennis elbow or golf elbow?
It is possible to exercise, but it is wise to adapt the training and avoid exercises that cause pain and instead focus on rehab exercises and increase training gradually.
Do I need to seek medical attention or will it go away on its own?
Yes, it can go away on its own, but it can take several months depending on whether you have had the injury before or continue to put strain on your elbow.
Can I prevent it from coming back?
Yes, it can be prevented by
- strengthen the forearms through exercises for both the flexor and extensor muscles
- mobility training in the wrists and elbows
- correct technique when exercising
- use ergonomic tools that require repeated movements, such as keyboards
- increase the load gradually when performing unilateral movements so that the body has time to get used to it
- warm up the muscles before exertion. Feel free to use Hot & Cold liniment, which accelerates the warming up of the muscles.
- stretch after exercise