Who has dealt with either tennis or golfer's elbow?

[Andym]

After suffering tennis elbow for over a year due to work (car valeting) I tried various painkillers & cortisone injections, surgery was only option, I had it in Oct 21 back golfing Feb 22, no issues now 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Mr. Mushball]

I gave myself golfer's elbow November of last year.  Went and hit for hours straight at Top Golf (with drinks) while "working".  Still have very bad swing form, but it was even worse then.  It hurt for months.  Finally wound up using some K-tape to support the elbow while playing, though it wasn't bad enough to stop the weekly round.  After a few weeks it cleared up.  Should have thought about the shoulder connection that was mentioned on someone's post on page 2.  I could have added some extra support along the deltoid and rotator cuffs to aid in the lower joint support.  Hopefully I don't do that to myself again.

FWIW, also had a newborn at the time which was also probably aggravating to the injury along with bad golf practice.  While I'm still carrying him around, I don't expect to generate another at this point in my life.

 

 

[Glenmore5]

Experiencing this as we speak...looking at stretching as an option to strengthing it.

[Mr. Mushball]

19 minutes ago, glenmore5 said:

Experiencing this as we speak...looking at stretching as an option to strengthing it.

My experience was stretching didn't help much.  It's more of a hyper extension more than a cramp or impingement.   Some support/strength training is better.  Definitely give it a rest as much as you are willing.  Those torn muscle fibers need time to get back together.

 

[Woobie]

Hi all. 
I am a twice a week golfer who has been fighting tennis elbow in both arms (from work) for about 5 years. 
over the journey I have tried every medical treatment recommended in this thread. 
The one I find gives me the best results is ICE. Twice a day I wrap my arms in a cool pack for about 10 minutes per arm. 
after about 3-4 days I can really notice the pain is going away. 

[Mr. Mushball]

16 minutes ago, Woobie said:

Hi all. 
I am a twice a week golfer who has been fighting tennis elbow in both arms (from work) for about 5 years. 
over the journey I have tried every medical treatment recommended in this thread. 
The one I find gives me the best results is ICE. Twice a day I wrap my arms in a cool pack for about 10 minutes per arm. 
after about 3-4 days I can really notice the pain is going away. 

I think the overall theme here is to minimize trauma to the affected area.  Support methods are best, strengthening after. 

@Woobie, give yourself a vacation and get rid of that inner elbow pain!  

[Mendozer]

I'm a physical therapist who treats this often in laborers, rock climbers, and golfers. I'm also a TPI certified PT who i work with golfers in that regard as well. medial or lateral epicondylitis/algia can be a pickle to work through. Very rarely is the painful tissue the problem. There's a very strong correlation to lateral epi and shoulder external rotator weakness, like previous or current rotator cuff pathology for example. In the golf swing there really shouldn't be any excessive stress to the epicondyles and the adjacent tendons unless A. that muscle was severely atrophied then you hit golf hard (not very plausible), B. you've got insufficient shoulder motion/strength that your elbow is compensating for, or C. you've exhausted the potential of that elbow muscle tissue from some wacky forearm rotation that you shouldn't be doing, unless this again was a compensation started after something else went awry in the swing. 

Either way, treat it before the -itis becomes a -osis (chronic inflammation) or turns further into an -opathy (mechanical changes to the chronically inflamed and destroyed tendon). a properly treated -itis should last no more than 4-6 weeks. -opathies can take several months and even require adjunct treatments like PRP, autologis blood injections, TENEX procedures, etc which still aren't great. Go get it looked at by a good PT with golf training. Look for suffixes in their experience like OCS, COMT, FAAOMPT, TPI, for example. Cheers!

 

The painful part is rarely the problem. It's often the smoke signal but not the fire. 

[Kenny B]

24 minutes ago, Mendozer said:

I'm a physical therapist who treats this often in laborers, rock climbers, and golfers. I'm also a TPI certified PT who i work with golfers in that regard as well. medial or lateral epicondylitis/algia can be a pickle to work through. Very rarely is the painful tissue the problem. There's a very strong correlation to lateral epi and shoulder external rotator weakness, like previous or current rotator cuff pathology for example. In the golf swing there really shouldn't be any excessive stress to the epicondyles and the adjacent tendons unless A. that muscle was severely atrophied then you hit golf hard (not very plausible), B. you've got insufficient shoulder motion/strength that your elbow is compensating for, or C. you've exhausted the potential of that elbow muscle tissue from some wacky forearm rotation that you shouldn't be doing, unless this again was a compensation started after something else went awry in the swing. 

Either way, treat it before the -itis becomes a -osis (chronic inflammation) or turns further into an -opathy (mechanical changes to the chronically inflamed and destroyed tendon). a properly treated -itis should last no more than 4-6 weeks. -opathies can take several months and even require adjunct treatments like PRP, autologis blood injections, TENEX procedures, etc which still aren't great. Go get it looked at by a good PT with golf training. Look for suffixes in their experience like OCS, COMT, FAAOMPT, TPI, for example. Cheers!

 

The painful part is rarely the problem. It's often the smoke signal but not the fire. 

Welcome to the forums!!  Wish we had a TPI certified trainer over here!!

[billpierce]

I had this pretty severely. Ended up needing surgery as rest and Pt couldn’t correct.  I suggest people try PT first and rehab as surgery was awful and elbows are slow to recover as those tendons don’t get much blood. 

[Mendozer]

1 minute ago, billpierce said:

I had this pretty severely. Ended up needing surgery as rest and Pt couldn’t correct.  I suggest people try PT first and rehab as surgery was awful and elbows are slow to recover as those tendons don’t get much blood. 

yup that's why you gotta make sure you manage it well from the get go. Often these things get ignored then it cascades to degenerate more

[Mendozer]

18 minutes ago, Kenny B said:

Welcome to the forums!!  Wish we had a TPI certified trainer over here!!

not exactly richland, but close. he's level 1 but otherwise looks like an experienced PT
https://www.mytpi.com/experts/[email protected]?swlat=46.16301670192984&swlng=-119.39579301152345&nelat=46.359316282118016&nelng=-119.16851334843751&page=1&sort=&search=&postalCode=&professionId=2

[Mendozer]

oh whoops i thought that said kennewick. i guess he is in richland

[Jimmy A]

I had the pain on the outside of one of my elbows all fall and winter in 2021, can't remember which elbow. In December orthopedic said to lift everything with my palms up(use biceps). Also gave me a cortizone shot, Was feeling great, didn't listen about the palms up advice, pain came back in March of 22'. Got another cortizone shot and took the palms up advice, no problems all of 2022, played about 70 rounds. 

[Mendozer]

1 hour ago, Jimmy A said:

I had the pain on the outside of one of my elbows all fall and winter in 2021, can't remember which elbow. In December orthopedic said to lift everything with my palms up(use biceps). Also gave me a cortizone shot, Was feeling great, didn't listen about the palms up advice, pain came back in March of 22'. Got another cortizone shot and took the palms up advice, no problems all of 2022, played about 70 rounds. 

Careful. too much cortisone breaks down healthy tissues too, hence why once you use it you tend to "need it" again. Also eccentric strengthening for the forearm extensors and supinators. Other than resting adequately early on, it is the most important evidence backed intervention to not only recover fully but to prevent reinjury. 

[Jono Horn]

14 hours ago, Middler said:

I know several guys who got quick relief from cortisone, but the shot masks the problem, it doesn't cure it. Repeated use often leads to tissue/cartilage damage. Doctors I've talked to say they will only do cortisone 2-3 times on a patient before they recommend something more drastic like surgery. My Dad was a doctor and I won't use any drugs that mask pain if I can avoid it. YMMV

If you choose to go that route, great, just know the pros and cons.

https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/cortisone-shots/about/pac-20384794

My specialist was clear that there is a limited number of times an injection of cortisone can be used. In most cases it actually cures the root cause. In my case I am pretty sure root cause has been addressed as I am playing twice a week plus mountain bike twice a week and have not had any symptoms at all  - now for over 2 years. Having an injection done every few years, unlikely but a possibility, has extremely low risk I was reassured, if any. If I remember correctly, he indicated rest and exercise would fix 90% of the cases but the time to go this route is unpredictable and at least multiple weeks. I didn't have time for this  so was happy to go for the cortisone which has worked exceptionally well. Three of my mates have had the same issue resolved in this manner and in all cases seems to have been fixed permanently.

[Bang60]

17 hours ago, pffeng said:

I had a similar injury (15+years ago) and followed the Orthos's  practices as you described and played thru the injury (for months). It would recur periodically, especially after hitting off of mats. Out of pure luck I was looking at a used car by private party, I had my forearm wrap on. The owner asked me what was going on, I told him. He asked if he could try something: he manipulated the area (putting things back to where the should be), and had me do ice and heat, "it'll be good in X # weeks", well it was good as stated and has never recurred. The guy turned out to be an Osteopath and practiced manipulation putting the tendons, ligaments and whatever else is there to where they should be. It worked for me and I am a believer, hope this helps, and works for you. Pain free golf is wonderful.

I met a Karate Master in a sauna at a Sydney Gym where I taught circuit training classes, I had tennis elbow and will excessive sports training I was in a lot of pain. So he saw me massaging my elbow and started using a pressure point and pushing the tendons into the correct position, he told me I needed to strengthen my core to get rid of the problem. So I started training with him and he was right I've not had any issues with tennis elbow for 25 years, I did Karate Knife fighting Stick fighting and Samurai sword fighting which I love. So guys l would suggest finding on utube how to strengthen your CORE side benefit it will improve your golf toooooooooo...

[Middler]

1 hour ago, Jono Horn said:

My specialist was clear that there is a limited number of times an injection of cortisone can be used. In most cases it actually cures the root cause. In my case I am pretty sure root cause has been addressed as I am playing twice a week plus mountain bike twice a week and have not had any symptoms at all  - now for over 2 years. Having an injection done every few years, unlikely but a possibility, has extremely low risk I was reassured, if any. If I remember correctly, he indicated rest and exercise would fix 90% of the cases but the time to go this route is unpredictable and at least multiple weeks. I didn't have time for this  so was happy to go for the cortisone which has worked exceptionally well. Three of my mates have had the same issue resolved in this manner and in all cases seems to have been fixed permanently.

I know people who’ve gotten relief from cortisone shots as well. But that doesn’t mean it’s curative, there’s tons of evidence to the contrary. Again, with any medical procedure it’s wise to know the risks vs benefits.

https://www.summitortho.com/2018/11/07/ask-dr-scofield-what-is-the-best-treatment-for-tennis-elbow/

https://www.howardluksmd.com/tennis-elbow-and-cortisone-injections/

https://tenniselbowclassroom.com/treatments/cortisone-shots-for-treating-tennis-elbow-pain-damaging-ineffective/

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/tennis-elbow/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20351991

[BiggSliceGolf]

Physical therapist assistant here in a sports medicine clinic.  
 

Manual modalities like massage/tool assisted “graston” style.  But need to work the tissue in reveres with some eccentric wrist flexion/extension higher reps 15-20 with sets of 3-4 using low ish weight (2-5#).  The other thing thing is rest and recovery, any elbow stuff takes weeks/months to fully heal, if you keep sparking it off it will last longer and longer. 
 

Agree with getting a PT referral but don’t get sucked in to ultrasound or laser stuff, little to no research that says it does anything. 
 

wouldn’t hurt to hit some rotator cuff strengthening too. 
 

Good luck! 

[Kenny B]

9 hours ago, Mendozer said:

not exactly richland, but close. he's level 1 but otherwise looks like an experienced PT
https://www.mytpi.com/experts/[email protected]?swlat=46.16301670192984&swlng=-119.39579301152345&nelat=46.359316282118016&nelng=-119.16851334843751&page=1&sort=&search=&postalCode=&professionId=2

He's new then.  I looked last year, and no one was listed.  Thanks for checking!!

[fixyurdivot]

@DGA3; two things that worked for me.  First a quality forearm compression strap.  Second was a switch from steel to composite iron shafts.  And when I say "worked" I mean really worked.  In addition to the tennis elbow pain, I've long dealt with left shoulder pain (trauma from old injuries) that really showed itself when I retired and started playing lots more golf.  I first just wore the compression strap while playing steel and that helped the elbow by a healthy 80%.  But, it was the switch to composite that was the Holy Grail. 

It was recommended by friends and some spies... I was dubious... I was wrong .  Hope one or both help you, good luck!

[Jcosta]

I've battled this condition on & off for several years. My pain was limited to the outside of my lead elbow. (left in my case as a right handed golfer). 

It would start in the spring and linger for 2-3 months. I eventually figured out it was due to hitting down and through on these mats. So I'm not surprised people struggling nowadays with having simulators in their home Hitting off hard ground mats over and over and over again. I got off the mats and got new clubs with graphite shafts haven't had a problem with my elbow since. Good luck to all

[DGA3]

Seeing as how I just bought new steel-shafted irons last summer (PING G425), I'm hesitant to get them reshafted to graphite because of the cost (I will look into it, though. Maybe it's not too expensive).  Also, the shafts are ultra-lightweight (Nippon N.S. Pro 850 GH) which I would hope would be a little easier on my elbow than a standard, heavier steel shaft.

Middler said that he has had success with the UST Recoil 95 graphite shafts, so I'll contact my local PGA Superstore and Golf Galaxy to see how much it would cost to switch to those. Any other graphite shaft suggestions?

What I may do is have all of my clubs regripped with a more shock-absorbing model than my current Golf Pride Tour Velvets. Winn Excel was one model that has been suggested (by Dean M). What others are shock-absorbing?

I also need to curtail my Spring "get the rust off training" that takes place on the mats of the range at my club. Pounding buckets of balls off of mats is probably not a good thing for a tender elbow (although I'm told that some brands of mats are very forgiving). Maybe focusing on chipping and putting would be a lot more helpful anyway! 

[DCXMIKE]

I've battled golfers elbow for a while.   I use KT Tape to support the elbow and have not have an acute problem since.   I usually put it on and leave it on for a couple of days.   Only problem is that with an elbow you need someone to put it on for you.

[Golfweasel]

My tennis elbow left elbow) is a result of hitting off of bad artificial matts. Period. Not doing that anymore. 
I’ve had PRP injections (Platelet Rich Plasma -  the Dr draws blood, spins it and injects the platelet rich plasma back to the tendon). It works if you want to go that route. Takes a couple of months to get back into golf. If not to that point, you have to rest …. Then stretch, strengthen and ice every day. Don’t try to use heavy db weights. Slow and steady wins the race. 
oh, and I’ve installed graphite shafts in my irons ( Recoils in my Callaway Apex 21 irons). 

Edited December 23, 2022 by Golfweasel
More info

[pbclub]

@GolfweaselGood to hear it works over the long term. I'm on day 16 after injection. Went to PT today and its pretty sore. I'm told it takes a while as you said. 

[Landy]

Yes I did.  Also had minor surgery to clean it up as it wasnt getting better.

Now I do alot of stretching before hitting any balls be it on the range or to play.  Also I will not hit on mats no matter how soft they may seem or claim its still a mat on a floor. Will only practice on a grass range.  Its sucks getting old so much more maintenance!

Oh and graphite shafts make a world of difference as well as the grips.  Avon makes a great shock absorbing grip.

You can also find stretches on-line for these as well as from your Ortho's rehab center.  Hope this helps!

Edited December 23, 2022 by Landy

[BMart519]

For those who still want to use mats:

Make a plywood base (probably at least 5/8" thick but 3/4" is better) for your mat with 2x4 or 2x6 along 2 sides. This will lift it off the ground, allow for some give and flex. 

[RollingGreens]

On 12/20/2022 at 9:37 PM, Tom the Golf Nut said:

I hope you can make it to Pinehurst. Your skills will come in handy after some of us finish up 36 holes in the same day. I bet you can name your price and we will line up. 

I really wish I could. Unfortunately I think those types of trips are out of my wheelhouse with my wife after having our first child last year!

[RollingGreens]

On 12/21/2022 at 11:03 PM, Kenny B said:

Welcome to the forums!!  Wish we had a TPI certified trainer over here!!

I’m level 1 certified, I’ll Finish out the next 2 levels each year to have my medical certification 

[DGA3]

22 minutes ago, RollingGreens said:

I’m level 1 certified, I’ll Finish out the next 2 levels each year to have my medical certification 

Congratulations!

Do you have any additional information about this (YouTubes videos and/or websites)?

"The tennis elbow strap research has been updated and results show it isn’t as effective as previously thought."

-RollingGreens