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Golfer's elbow treatment in Edmonton
Golfer's elbow is a load-related tendon problem on the inner side of the joint, provoked by gripping and palm-up lifting, and most people who get it have never held a golf club. Assessment at our Edmonton clinic routinely checks the ulnar nerve as well.
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What is golfer's elbow?
Golfer’s elbow, or medial elbow tendinopathy, is a load-related problem of the wrist flexor and forearm rotator tendons where they attach to the bony bump on the inside of the elbow. It is the mirror image of tennis elbow, which affects the outside. Gripping, lifting with the palm up, and repeated wrist bending provoke it, and most people who get it have never picked up a golf club.
How it presents
Symptoms on the outside of the elbow instead are tennis elbow, which involves different tendons and a different loading plan.
- Pain over the bony bump on the inside of the elbow, tender to press
- Provoked by gripping, lifting with the palm facing up, and resisted wrist bending
- Often follows a change in load — a renovation, a new tool, more gym volume, a return to a throwing or racquet sport
- Sometimes an ache running down the inside of the forearm
The nerve worth checking
The ulnar nerve passes right behind the inside of the elbow, through the groove people call the funny bone. It is irritated alongside medial elbow pain often enough that it is checked routinely.
Pins and needles or numbness in the little finger and half the ring finger, symptoms worse with the elbow bent for long periods, or weakness in the hand all point that way and change what treatment targets. Say so at assessment if any of that sounds familiar.
What treatment usually involves
Reducing the aggravating load without stopping using the arm: changing grip size, spreading heavy tasks out, adjusting technique, and sometimes a counterforce brace for the working day.
Then progressive loading of the wrist flexors and forearm rotators, usually starting with isometric holds while the tendon is irritable and building into heavier, slower resistance work as it settles. Grip and shoulder strength are built alongside.
It follows tendon timelines, which means months of consistent work rather than a handful of sessions. Consistency between appointments is what moves it.
Questions people ask
Is it the same as tennis elbow?
Same idea, other side of the elbow, different tendons. The principles of management are similar; the specific loading is not, which is why it is worth being assessed rather than following generic elbow advice.
Should I have an injection?
Corticosteroid injection reduces pain in the short term, but longer follow-up in elbow tendinopathy has not favoured it over exercise-based care, and recurrence rates are higher. Worth discussing carefully with your physician rather than treating as the default.
How long will it take?
Several months is normal. Early signs of progress are a longer tolerance before symptoms appear and a quicker settle afterwards, rather than the pain disappearing outright.
Is golfer's elbow only from golf?
No. It comes from repeated gripping and wrist bending, so it turns up in tradespeople, climbers, weight trainers and people who spend the day at a keyboard. The name is historical. The assessment looks at whatever you actually do with your hands.
How is it different from tennis elbow?
Same kind of problem, opposite side of the joint. Tennis elbow is on the outside and is aggravated by lifting with the palm down; golfer’s elbow is on the inside and is aggravated by gripping and pulling. Both are treated with progressive loading, but of different muscles.
Can I keep lifting weights?
Usually, with the grip-heavy movements modified for a while. Pulling exercises and curls are the ones to adjust. The physiotherapist goes through your program and changes what needs changing rather than pausing everything.
Book an elbow assessment
Vertex Physiotherapy is at 6958 76 Ave NW #205, Edmonton, AB T6B 2R2. Call (825) 525-2852 or book online.