Golfer’s Elbow Treatment in Kitchener
Like its better-known counterpart, golfer’s elbow has a name that misleads. You don’t need to golf to develop it. What you need is repetition – gripping, lifting, carrying, or flexing your wrist over and over, which describes a great many jobs and hobbies.
The distinguishing feature is location. Golfer’s elbow causes pain on the inside of the elbow, the side closest to your body when your arm hangs at your side. Tennis elbow affects the outside. That single difference points to two different muscle groups and two slightly different approaches to care.
What Is Golfer’s Elbow?
Golfer’s elbow, clinically, medial epicondylitis, involves irritation where the forearm flexor tendons attach to the bony bump on the inside of the elbow. These muscles bend your wrist and curl your fingers, so they’re engaged every time you grip something.
Repeated strain irritates the tendon at that attachment point, and the tissue begins breaking down faster than the body can repair it.
Common symptoms:
- Pain and tenderness on the inside of the elbow
- Discomfort that worsens with gripping, lifting, or curling the wrist
- Weakened grip strength
- Aching that can travel into the forearm
- Occasional numbness or tingling into the ring and little fingers
Who Gets Golfer’s Elbow?
Anyone whose work or activity involves repeated gripping and wrist flexion. That includes trades work, carrying and lifting, using hand tools, throwing sports, weight training, and yes, golf. As with tennis elbow, it often appears after a change in activity level rather than during a steady routine.
How Chiropractic Care May Help
Our approach looks beyond the elbow itself. The forearm flexors cross both the elbow and wrist, and how your shoulder and neck position the arm influences the strain those muscles carry through the day.
Care typically involves restoring motion to the elbow, wrist, and shoulder joints, soft tissue work through the forearm, and a graduated strengthening program to rebuild the tendon’s tolerance for load. Just as importantly, we look at what’s driving the repetition, grip technique, tool use, workstation setup, since the activity usually needs to change alongside the treatment.
Because the ulnar nerve passes close to this area, we also assess whether nerve irritation is contributing. If symptoms suggest something beyond a tendon problem, or aren’t responding as expected, we’ll talk with you about other appropriate options.
Book Golfer’s Elbow Care in Kitchener, ON
If pain on the inside of your elbow is affecting your grip or your work, we can help you find out why. Contact Westheights Chiropractic today to book an assessment.
