Golf-related elbow injuries

Two types of elbow injuries are predominant with golfers: lateral epicondylitis, commonly called tennis elbow, and medial epicondylitis known as golfer's elbow. Tennis elbow is felt over the outside part of the elbow and you will feel pain and tenderness over the bony prominence.

The golfer's elbow occurs on the inside part also over the bony prominence in this area. Most commonly, the leading arm is the most likely to suffer a tennis elbow injury and the trailing arm is the most likely to suffer a golfer's elbow injury. Amateur golfers have a greater likelihood of injuries to the lateral part (tennis elbow) of the elbow than the medial part (golfer's elbow).

The main cause for this type of injury is overuse of the muscles, ligaments and tendons of the elbow with repetitive movements which creates very small tears in these structures.

Warning signs can include pain during or after activity which can be sharp during activity but also present itself as an aching sensation in the hours that follow. Commonly, progressively increasing stiffness will accompany the pain as a result of inflammation. You might also feel the pain when grasping objects or when performing light activities involving more sustained movements such as typing or holding light objects.

Common causes include a sudden strain during the activity. An example of this might be a rapid deceleration of the club such as when you hit the ground instead of the ball. Another cause might be using a stronger club grip than required or when you experience high vibrations in the club when hitting the ball. You must also remember that such injuries can occur as a result of repetitive motions during work or daily activities. Sometimes they may occur in your neck if you have experienced nerve compression or irritation leading to a secondary weakness of the wrist musculature.