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Medial Epicondylitis(Golfer's Elbow)
by
Cynthia M. Johnson, MA DefinitionMedial epicondylitis is pain over the medial epicondyle bone on the inner side of the elbow. Another name for it is golfer's elbow.
CausesTendons connect muscles to bone. Repetitive or stressful movements of the muscles causes strain and pain at the tendon. The forearm muscles are active when a person grips an object tightly, such as a golf club. Doing this repeatedly can cause pain at the tendon. Other things that may cause this problem are:
Risk FactorsThis problem is more common in older adults. Other things that may raise the risk are:
SymptomsSymptoms happen slowly over time and may be:
Pain may be worse when:
DiagnosisThe doctor will ask about your symptoms and health history. You may also be asked about your recent physical activity. A physical exam will be done. It will focus on the elbow. Images are not usually needed, but they may be done with: TreatmentThe goal of treatment is to ease pain and help with healing. Options are:
PreventionTo lower the risk of this problem:
RESOURCES:Ortho Info— American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons http://www.orthoinfo.org Sports Med—American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine http://www.sportsmed.org/patient CANADIAN RESOURCES:Canadian Orthopaedic Association http://www.coa-aco.org/patient/public-information.html Canadian Orthopaedic Foundation http://www.canorth.org/ References:Barco R, Antuña SA. Medial elbow pain. EFORT Open Rev. 2017 Aug;2(8);362-371. Golf injury prevention. Ortho Info—American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons website. Available at: ...(Click grey area to select URL) Accessed February 1, 2021.
Medial elbow tendinoipathy. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at:
https://www.dynamed.com/condition/medial-elbow-tendinopathy. Accessed February 1, 2021.
Last reviewed December 2020 by
EBSCO Medical Review Board
Teresa Briedwell, PT, DPT, OCS, CSCS | |