Tennis & Golfer’s Elbow

What is Tennis and Golfer’s elbow and how are they treated?

What is Tennis/Golfer’s Elbow?

The forearm tendons insert on the inside (medial) and outside (lateral) portions of the elbow and these tendons play an important role in helping you grip objects. Overuse of the tendons can result in them becoming irritated and inflamed.

The main difference between these two conditions is that Tennis Elbow occurs on the outside of the elbow and Golfer’s Elbow occurs on the inside.

The symptoms of each include the following:

  • Pain
  • Tenderness
  • Stiffness
  • Weakness
  • Decreased range of motions

Patients who play racquet, stick, or bat sports are at risk to develop Tennis and Golfer’s Elbow. However, these injuries are not limited to athletes as weightlifters and manual laborers are also at risk due to the repetitive motions and stress placed on the tendons.

If you are experiencing the symptoms above, we encouraged to make appointment with the Fellowship Trained and Board Certified Sports Medicine Specialists at Olympia Orthopaedic Associates. Our Sports Medicine Specialists treat Tennis and Golfer’s Elbow using customized treatment plans based on your unique injury.  Our goal is to return you to an active and healthy lifestyle!

How is it treated?

The symptoms of Tennis and Golfer’s Elbow are often effectively treated using nonsurgical treatment options.

In most cases, the treatment plan prescribed by the Sports Medicine Specialists at Olympia Orthopaedic Associates will include a combination of the following:

  • Bracing
  • Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
  • Physical therapy
  • Injections

Patients who adhere to their specialist’s instructions experience symptom relief in a short period of time. Surgical intervention is rarely used.