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Physical Therapy for Golfer's Elbow

Golfer’s Elbow

Physical Therapy for Golfer's Elbow (Medial Epicondylitis Pain)

Golfer’s Elbow

Golfer’s Elbow, medically known as medial epicondylitis,  is a painful condition where the tendons that attach to the inside of the elbow become inflamed due to repetitive use of the hand, wrist, forearm, and elbow. Golfer’s elbow often occurs with repetitive activities such as swinging a golf club or tennis racket, work or leisure activities requiring twisting and gripping such as shoveling, gardening, and swinging a hammer. Golfer’s elbow can also appear in other sports-related activities such as throwing and swimming. Golfer’s Elbow (Medial epicondylitis) is most commonly seen in men over the age of 35 but can be seen in any population. If these symptoms sound familiar, then going to physical therapy for golfer’s elbow may be just what you need.

Physical Therapy Appointment

What is causing your elbow pain?

Golfer’s Elbow (Medial epicondylitis) affects the group of muscles that are responsible for bending the wrist, fingers, and thumb and that rotate the wrist and forearm. The tendons that connect those muscles to the medial epicondyle (bump on inside of elbow). Tendons are made up of collagen fibers that are lined up next to each other. The repetitive forces pull on those tendons creating pain and tenderness described as Golfer’s Elbow. Without treatment, those tendons can eventually pull away from the bone. Acute injuries to your elbow can create an inflammatory response which can cause redness, warmth, and stiffness in your elbow.

Golfer’s Elbow (Medial epicondylitis) is most often caused by an abnormal arrangement of collagen fibers. This condition is called tendinosis. During tendinosis, the body doesn’t create inflammatory cells as it does during an acute injury. Instead, fibroblasts are created which help make up scar tissue to fill in the spaces between the collagen fibers. This increase in scar tissue can lead to increased pain and weakness in the tissues. Physical and hand therapy is the most common nonsurgical treatment for Golfer’s Elbow (medial epicondylitis). Your therapist will perform an evaluation where he/she will ask you several questions about your condition, pain level, and other symptoms you may be experiencing. He/she will perform motion and strength testing on your entire upper extremity. Your therapist will also palpate your arm to determine which tendon(s) may be inflamed. He/she will use special tests designed to deferentially diagnose your condition from others that may have similar presentations to Golfer’s Elbow, such as Cubital Tunnel Syndrome.

golf ball on tee

What to Expect from Physical Therapy for Golfer’s Elbow

  • Pain Management: this can include Mechanical Diagnosis & Therapy, ice, ice massage, moist heat, electrical stimulation, and ultrasound.
  • Range-of-Motion Exercises: stretches and mobility exercises to help maintain proper movement in your elbow, forearm, wrist, and hand.
  • Strengthening Exercises: progressive resistive exercises to help build strength in your arm, elbow, forearm, wrist, and hand. These can include weights, medicine balls, and/or resistance bands. This will also include your Home Exercise Program.
  • Manual Therapy: used to ensure full, pain-free movement is achieved and can include joint mobilizations, manual muscle stretches, and soft tissue massage.
  • Neuromuscular Re-education (Functional Training): used to help you return to your prior level of function for both home and work activities. This will include retraining proper movement patterns with necessary modifications based on the current level of function and patient limitations.
  • Patient Education: used to help retrain patients on proper postural control during everyday activities including dressing, self-care, work, and sports activities. This can include helping return a patient to their specific sport, such as making adjustments to their golf swing or throwing technique.

Once you’ve completed physical therapy for Golfer’s Elbow you’ll want to do everything you can to prevent this from reoccurring. This can occur by maintaining proper awareness of your risk for injury during your daily movements. Key things to keep in mind:

1. Maintain proper form during all repetitive movements both at work and at home.
2. Continue your Home Exercise Program in order to maintain proper strength in your shoulder, elbow, forearm, wrist, and hand.
3. Use proper posture and body mechanics with lifting or carrying to avoid any undue stress on your joints and tendons.

This information was written by Plymouth Physical Therapy Specialists, an outpatient physical and hand therapy group with fourteen locations in the surrounding Plymouth, Michigan area. At Plymouth Physical Therapy Specialists, they are committed to using evidence-based treatments in their practice. This means that their therapists utilize the most current and clinically relevant treatments in their approach to rehabilitation. For more information click here.

physical therapy near me

applied functional science AFS

What is Applied Functional Science (AFS)?

The unique and wholistic practice of Applied Functional Science (AFS) requires extensive education and training beyond the traditional education received by rehabilitation clinicians.

AFS vs. Traditional Therapy

Traditional Therapy
Local Joint Focused

TREATMENTS INCLUDE:
• Focused on correcting the injured joint or muscle
• Therapeutic exercise focused on the muscles around the affected joint
• Manual treatments to improve movement in the affected joint
• Successful treatment evaluated by reduction of pain and improved joint strength

Functional Approach
Whole Body Focused

TREATMENTS INCLUDE:
• Source of pain and cause of pain are rarely the same
• Focused on correcting the underlying cause of the injured joint or muscle
• Therapeutic exercise individual developed based on patient-specific mechanics and affected functional tasks
• Manual treatments utilized to help facilitate normal functional mechanics
• Successful treatment evaluated by restoring pain free function lost due to injury

Body, Mind, and Spirit Do I need a Specialist?
Applied Functional Science (AFS) is a unique approach that uses the collaboration of the physical, biological and behavioral science used to treat patients as a whole. AFS uses biomechanics affected by the everyday forces of life to identify and treat the underlying cause of an injury.

Physical: Functional mechanics of the joints and muscles as they respond to everyday activities

Biological:
Functional application of neuromuscular properties in everyday activities

Behavioral: Why are you here? Incorporating personal driving factors and goals for betterment in your individualized treatment plan

This information was written by Plymouth Physical Therapy Specialists, an outpatient physical therapy group with 17 locations in Michigan. Plymouth Physical Therapy Specialists was established in 1994 by Jeff Sirabian PT, MHS, OCS, Cert. MDT, CSCS. With over 20 years of experience in orthopedics and sports medicine, Jeff has established a state of the art physical therapy practice with 17 locations to conveniently serve you. For more information click here.

Taking Care of Your Scar

Self-Care: Taking Care of Your Scar at Home

ScarCare_FBsize

Taking care of your scar well is an important aspect of your recovery from surgery. You must follow your surgeon’s order faithfully.This includes keeping it dry and covered as long as your doctor tells you it is necessary. If your scar becomes excessively red or painful, notify your doctor or therapist.

scar

When you doctor tells you it is safe, you will need to start treating your scar at home. This is important because excessive scarring can lead to restricted movement and pain. The best approach to controlling your scar formation is to use your hands to free up skin around your scar. Rubbing Vitamin E oil or cocoa butter into your hands before massaging will also help your skin heal.

This information about taking care of your scar was written by Plymouth Physical Therapy Specialists, an outpatient physical therapy group with fourteen locations in the surrounding Plymouth, Michigan area. At Plymouth Physical Therapy Specialists, they are committed to using evidence-based treatments in their practice. This means that their therapists utilize the most current and clinically relevant treatments in their approach to rehabilitation. For more information click here.