GOLFER'S ELBOW. WHAT EXERCISES WORK BEST?

If you're experiencing pain at the inside of your elbow, you might have golfer's elbow. AKA medial epicondylitis. In today's video, I demonstrate a progression of exercises to FIX this problem. Golfer's elbow is a form of tendinopathy that affects the tendons that attach on the inside of the elbow. It's called golfer's elbow, but really it can affect anyone who engages in tasks that require forceful and repetitive gripping, or gripping while the wrist is in a deviated position. Weight lifters and trades people for example are commonly afflicted with this. Repetitive and/or forceful gripping sometimes exceed the tolerance of the tendon. When this happens, the fibers of the tendon break down, much like a frayed rope. Initially the tendon becomes inflamed and painful. These patients, with acute medial epicondylitis, should initially treat this condition with rest, avoiding or at least reducing exposure to the painful activity. Ice, and fairly gentle range of motion can help. This acute phase typically lasts approximately 2-4 weeks. However, even after the inflammatory phase burns out, patients often continue to have pain. The tendon has not fully healed because the tendon fibers continue to be frayed and damaged. This is where strengthening comes in. For years we treated this with stretching. Stretching doesn't usually work for chronic cases! Stretching can provide temporary relief but does not stimulate the tendon to actually heal. What does stimulate a healing response in the tendon is a progression of strengthening exercises. The exercises that I demonstrate in this video do exactly that, stimulate the damaged, frayed tendon to rebuild itself. In addition to directly strengthening the affected muscles/tendons, this program also addresses shoulder muscle weakness. For reasons that are not totally clear, strengthening the shoulder blade muscles helps to reduce pain associated with golfer's elbow. Strengthening these muscles is consistently the best treatment for this condition. The keys to success are: be gradual, consistent and patient. The repair process that these exercises stimulate takes months to work. Disclaimer: this content is for education purposes only. Do not self diagnose or self treat any condition. Work with your medical providers on what treatment strategies are best for you!