What is Golfers Elbow?
Also known as medial epicondylitis, this condition arises as a consequence of overuse of the muscles and tendons responsible for flexing the wrist, fingers, and thumb and also pronating the forearm (a movement which turns the palms of the hands into the body).
Symptoms
Pain is felt over the medial epicondyle (the bony prominence felt at the inner border of the elbow joint), radiating to the forearm. There is also swelling in the affected area. Use of the flexor muscles (those which bend the wrist and fingers) will aggravate the pain in this area, e.g. grasping objects, opening lids. If severe, a tingling sensation is felt over the 4th and 5th fingers and some muscle weakness is present.
Treatments
An epicondylitis clasp is used which compresses the flexor tendons where they blend with the muscle. This reduces the bending stress on the tendon and so helps to relieve the symptoms.
