Elbow and forearm pain could be the result of lateral or medial epicondylitis, or what we refer to as tennis and golfer’s elbow. Epicondylitis is an acute overuse injury that affects tendons that attach at the elbow. These attachments are responsible for flexing and extending the wrist, so even the most basic tasks can be extremely uncomfortable.
Some people tend to use tennis and golfer’s elbow interchangeably, and though both exhibit similar symptoms, they affect different areas of the elbow. Tennis elbow refers to epicondylitis of the lateral, or outside portion of the elbow, while the medial, or inside portion of the elbow, is more commonly known as golfer’s elbow.
Common symptoms of both include:
- Pain that originates at the elbow, then gradually extends to the forearm
- Grasping objects, or rotating your forearm, can be painful
- Weakened grip strength
- Wrist range of motion is restricted
One major difference in symptoms is that pain when extending the wrist usually stems from tennis elbow, while pain when flexing the wrist is associated with golfer’s elbow. These conditions need to be addressed ASAP, as they can become chronic and lead to micro tearing of the tendon. Tendons do not heal quickly, as they have very poor blood supply.
Fortunately, there are conservative measures you can take to help you feel better (and get you back to the activities you enjoy!).
- Rest or modification of activity, ice, bracing and taping
- Treatments include laser, soft tissue work such as cupping, Graston (scraping), active release therapy, and needling
- Rehab starts with passive and active range of motion exercises of the elbow, wrist, shoulder and even the neck
- Progression of rehab to include isometric, eccentric, and concentric strengthening exercises (depending on level of pain)
When you work with our Doctors and rehab specialists, we implement all of these techniques to reduce inflammation and pain and strengthen the involved tendons.
When it comes down to it, both tennis and golfer’s elbow are overuse injuries with a breakdown of mechanics. There are many techniques and exercises we can do to help relieve pain and reduce symptoms, but to truly eliminate the issue, there needs to be an adjustment to your movement patterns.
