How To Avoid Golfer's Elbow This Season

A guest post from Dr. Michael Hausman, Orthopedic Surgeon and Specialist on Hands and Upper Extremities and Chairman of Orthopedics at Mount Sinai.

Each golf season, numerous golfers unknowingly continue habits which result in golfer’s elbow. Golfer’s elbow, also known as medical epicondylitis, is similar to tennis elbow, but occurs on the inside, as opposed to the outside of the elbow. It is usually a pain or discomfort that forms where the tendons of one’s forearm muscles attach to the bone on the inside of the elbow. The pain may spread into one’s forearm and wrist. Most common at the beginning of the golf season, this injury is typically due to the repetitive activity and increased duration.

The pain of golfer’s elbow doesn’t have to keep you out of the game or hinder the start of the season – if you keep in mind a few easy tips:

1. Golf Clubs - It is crucial to make sure that you are using golf clubs that are sized properly, including grip size.
2. Stretching & Exercises - Some simple stretches and exercises reduce the symptoms of golfer's elbow. These exercises should not cause pain. By strengthening the muscles and tendons involved with golfers' elbow, you can help prevent the problem from returning.
3. Anti – Inflammatory Medication - If you do feel persistent pain in the elbow area, using an anti – inflammatory medication is suggested to control the pain and inflammation.
4. Alternatives - A cortisone injection is another option if other methods have not helped to subside the pain; however, if a patient has tried more than two cortisone injections and has not felt relief, it is unlikely such injections will benefit the patient.

Dr. Michael Hausman has appeared on national and local TV and radio, as well as in many print outlets as a resource on orthopaedic care and injuries specifically on the hands and upper extremities. Dr. Hausman is currently the Robert K. Lippmann Professor of Orthopedic Surgery and Vice-Chairman of the Department of Orthopedics at Mount Sinai. He is an internationally recognized upper extremity surgeon who treats disorders of the hand, elbow, shoulder and peripheral nerves.

In addition to writing about golf, Dave Donelson distills the experiences of hundreds of entrepreneurs into practical advice for small business owners and managers in the Dynamic Manager's Guides, a series of how-to books about marketing and advertising, sales techniques, hiring, firing, and motivating personnel, financial management, and business strategy.