The elbows are the parts of your arms that take the most force when you’re making a hard swing. A lot of the energy that’s sent back along the shaft of the club stops at the elbows, and there are many seasoned golfers that can attest to their sore and painful elbows, even after just a few short years of golfing.
Not only that, but the action of swinging puts a lot of strain on the arms, particularly on the elbows, and sometimes it can get painful enough that a golfer is forced to give up on the game for a while.
In fact, it’s such a common issue that is has earned a name of its own: golfer’s elbow, and it’s something that most golfers will want to be keenly aware of if they want to maintain long-term elbow health.
What Is Golfer’s Elbow?
Golfer’s elbow is very much the same thing as tennis elbow, and the causes and effects are the same in most ways. The pain tends to be centred where the forearm muscles attach to the inside of the elbow, but it’s also common for the pain to spread to both the forearm and the wrist, and will generally progress until it makes it almost impossible to play golf.
Tennis players are extremely prone to this malady, and it’s especially prevalent among players that repeatedly clench their fingers or use their wrists when they are making a swing.
Avoiding Golfer’s Elbow
While there are a number of treatments available to help with the pain of golfer’s elbow, like most health-related issues, prevention is always better than cure. Golfer’s can use a range of different methods to prevent themselves from developing golfer’s elbow. Strengthening the muscles in the forearm is one of the best ways of doing this, which can be as simple as squeezing a tennis ball for a few minutes every day, although dedicate exercises with weights is highly recommended.
Stretching before playing the game can also make a big difference, especially if it’s done with regularity. Those golfers that tend to use heavier irons might consider switching to lighter gear, as this can make a substantial difference to their elbow pain and how bad it gets.
Treatment Options
Sometimes it’s almost impossible to avoid developing golfer’s elbow, and when and if it does occur, knowing treatment options is important. Usually a bout of rest is what’s most recommended for golfer’s, which entails taking a few days or even weeks off from the game until the pain has subsided, great for catching up on work, watching films, playing online slots, or reading a new book. If rest does not seem to have fixed the issue, it might be worth visiting a doctor. Golfer’s elbow can become quite serious if not addressed early, sometimes to the point where the tendons actually begin to pull away from the bone. In this case, proper medical assistance is necessary.