Golfer's Elbow

QUESTION: The nurse at my country club just told me I have Golfer's Elbow. I love working out and I don't want to have to give up my strength training. She didn't have very much advice regarding exercise so I wondered if you've ever heard of this condition and if I can continue to exercise without concern.

ANSWER: Golfer's Elbow is actually medial epicondylitis. Long word, but pretty simple to understand. Did you ever hit your "funny bone?" It isn't really funny, but I'm sure you know the sensation. The funny bone is actually the medial epicondyle. Repeated flexion of the wrist can lead to tiny ruptures along the tendon that connects the wrist flexor muscles to their point of origin at the elbow joint. Medial epicondylitis is an overuse injury, and repetitive flexing of the wrist prevents the ruptures from healing, and over time the condition can worsen. The best thing you can do to alleviate the problem is to avoid repetitive wrist flexion. As far as strength training, you can certainly work out, but you'll want to avoid movements that cause you to bend from the wrist as you flex the elbow (cable curls, forearm curls, preacher curls, etc.).

A qualified Personal Trainer should be able to design a routine that allows the condition to improve without sacrificing overall condition. If the condition worsens you might opt for medical treatment.

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