Elbow injuries are a formidable opponent for many athletes, particularly for those who regularly engage in racket sports or golf. While these injuries may seem similar at first glance, golfer’s elbow and tennis elbow are distinct conditions that affect different parts of the elbow and require their own specific treatments. Understanding these differences is crucial for effective healing and a swift return to your game.
Here, you can learn more about the key differences between the two conditions and the most effective treatments available to help you get back to what you love doing as quickly as possible.
Elbow Injuries During Sports – An Overview
In the sporting world, your elbows are pivotal components that put the power behind your swing. When an elbow injury occurs, particularly among athletes participating in sports requiring repetitive arm movements, this is a significant concern.
Elbow injuries commonly stem from overuse and stress, leading to conditions such as golfer’s elbow and tennis elbow. So, when pain strikes, identifying which area of the elbow is affected is key to receiving the right treatment to help get you back on the course or court with confidence.
Golfer’s Elbow vs. Tennis Elbow – Identifying the Differences
Both conditions manifest as pain around the elbow but differ in the specific tendons and muscles affected. Golfer’s elbow, or medial epicondylitis, affects the tendons on the inside of the elbow that connect the forearm and elbow. Although golfers often experience this injury, it’s not limited to them – it can affect anyone who repeatedly uses their wrist and arm to bend, grip, or twist things. This can cause tiny tears to develop in the tendons.
In comparison, tennis elbow affects the tendons on the outside of the elbow. True to its name, it’s common among tennis players. The injury is typically caused by the force of the tennis racket hitting a ball in the backhand position. This can cause the tendons that roll over the end of the elbow to become damaged. Much like golfer’s elbow, many people who suffer from tennis elbow do not play tennis. The injury can affect individuals involved in repetitive arm, elbow, and wrist activities such as painting with a brush or roller or using hand tools on a regular basis.
Understanding these conditions’ nuances is essential in diagnosing, treating, and preventing further elbow injuries; ensuring athletes can continue enjoying their sport with minimal downtime.
Spotting the Symptoms
Golfer’s elbow presents with pain and tenderness on the inside of the elbow, where the tendons of the forearm muscles attach to medial epicondyle – the bony bump on the inside of the elbow. Pain may also extend along the forearm to the wrist and gripping objects may result in significant discomfort. Symptoms of golfer’s elbow can develop over time and pain may be worse in the morning. Other symptoms include:
- Aching in the forearm or wrist
- Pain when making a fist
- Reduced grip strength
- Numbness or tingling in the hand
By contrast, symptoms of tennis elbow typically occur at the bony bump on the outside of the elbow – the lateral epicondyle. Tennis elbow symptoms may get worse over time and include:
- Pain, tenderness, burning, or aching on the outside of the elbow and forearm
- Pain that radiates throughout the forearm and wrist when lifting or bending the arm
- Discomfort when lifting and gripping small objects, such as a coffee cup
- A weak grip
Awareness of the symptoms can help to ensure the correct treatment to prevent the condition from getting worse.
Diagnosing Elbow Injuries
Proper diagnosis of elbow injuries is essential for tailoring an effective treatment plan. Healthcare professionals, such as orthopedic surgeons or sports medicine specialists, will use a combination of a medical history review, physical examinations, and sometimes imaging tests to pinpoint your specific condition.
During a physical exam, your doctor may apply pressure to the affected area or ask you to move your arm, wrist, and fingers in various ways to assess pain intensity and pinpoint the location of the injury. If further clarification is needed, imaging tests like X-rays, MRIs, or ultrasounds can help visualize the extent of the injury, distinguishing between golfer’s elbow and tennis elbow by showing where the inflammation or damage is concentrated.
The Game Plan: Treatment Techniques
When it comes to tennis elbow treatments and golfer’s elbow treatments, early intervention is the key player for recovery. Left untreated, these types of injuries could cause long-term damage, such as limiting your elbow’s range of motion, chronic pain, and a weakened grip.
Most cases of golfer’s elbow and tennis elbow respond to non-surgical treatments. Initial steps for both types of conditions typically involve resting the affected arm and only engaging in activities that don’t aggravate the injury. This can be a potentially challenging endeavor for active athletes. Your healthcare provider may recommend you wait a minimum of six weeks before resuming sports or activities that put strain on the affected arm.
Non-Surgical Treatments
A regimen of R.I.C.E – rest, ice, compression, and elevation – often begins the treatment process, complemented by over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications to reduce pain and swelling.
Physical therapy plays a crucial role in rehabilitation, which focuses on improving physical functioning for participation in activities. Tailored exercises address muscle strength, flexibility, coordination, and endurance. The therapist may also use other modalities, such as ultrasound, to promote healing. A splint, brace, forearm band, or elbow wrapping may be recommended to alleviate tendon strain and allow healing to commence undisturbed.
Advanced Interventions
When symptoms persist despite conservative methods, medical interventions such as corticosteroid shots injected in the affected area of the elbow can offer temporary relief for severe discomfort.
Other expert-recommended treatments might be utilized to promote healing within the tendon tissues, such as platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections. This innovative treatment uses components of the patients own blood to harness the body’s own healing mechanisms, encouraging tendon repair.
The Surgical Option
In rare cases where non-surgical methods fail to work successfully, surgery may become the necessary strategy. Surgery for both golfer’s elbow and tennis elbow typically involves removing the damaged tissue and reattaching the healthy tendon to the bone. This type of surgery is usually performed as an outpatient procedure and different surgical techniques may be used, such as arthroscopy.
Arthroscopic surgery is a minimally invasive option that employs a tiny camera called an arthroscope to navigate the surgical process. This advanced technique requires only minor incisions, eliminating the need to fully open the joint. Such an approach not only enhances the precision of the procedure but is associated with positive outcomes and a shorter recovery time. Full recovery from elbow surgery could take several months.
Back to the Game
Recuperation from an elbow injury, such as golfer’s elbow and tennis elbow, demands patience. Committing to the full course of treatment and gradually reintroducing activities under professional guidance will help you return to your sport as quickly and as safely as possible.
Orthopedic Specialists in Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia
Whether you’re facing golfer’s elbow or tennis elbow, the expert orthopedic specialists at Watauga Orthopaedics can help you get back to your game. Our dedicated team of providers tailors treatments to your specific condition. From diagnosis to recovery, our comprehensive care ensures that you receive the precise, personalized treatment necessary to restore your form.
So, visit our website at Watauga Orthopaedics to learn more about our services and discover how we can assist you in addressing your elbow concerns. Alternatively, you can schedule an appointment with a member of our team by calling us at (423) 282-9011 or by using our convenient online request form. At Watauga Orthopaedics, we welcome your call!
