Elbow pain? How do you know if it’s a Golfer’s Elbow or a Tennis Elbow?

Golfer’s Elbow (GE) or Medial Epicondylitis is essentially tendinosis of the bony bump on the inside of the elbow (medial epicondyle). Tendinosis is essentially inflammation of the tendons.  In this case the tendons that join the forearm muscles on the inner side of the elbow are affected. The pain radiates through the muscles to the wrist and fingers. Stretching and gripping become extremely difficult due to the tenderness over the bony epicondyle.

What causes Golfer’s Elbow

Excessive pressure on tendons & tissues connected to fingers, palm & wrist movements result in Golfer’s elbow. Other reasons include- forceful gripping for long hours, lifting heavy objects carelessly etc.

Sometimes, pain in the elbow may often go unidentified. It may be mistaken as normal muscle sprain. 

Symptoms specific to Golfer’s Elbow are:

ü  Deformation of the elbows

ü  Inflammation of elbows

ü  Burning and Feverish feeling

ü  Difficulty in bending the elbow easily

ü  Tenderness in the interior of the elbow

What causes Tennis Elbow

The Tennis Elbow on the other hand is medically termed as Lateral Epicondylitis. It is a condition where inflammation occurs in the tendons that join the forearm muscles on the outside of the elbow. Primarily, in case of a tennis elbow a tendon named Extensor Carpi Radialis Brevis (ECRB) is affected! Extensors are tendons that attach the forearm muscles to the bony bump on the outer elbow that is the Lateral Epicondyle.

Particularly, jobs involving repetitive actions are responsible for causing tennis elbow. Mostly, tennis players, painters, plumbers & carpenters are afflicted by Tennis Elbow. Also, it has been statistically observed that auto drivers, cooks and butchers become victims of Tennis Elbow at some point in their life.

Tennis elbow symptoms may be jotted down as:

ü  Trouble while lifting the object

ü  Uneasiness while opening a door or any ‘pulling’ activity

ü  Pain and discomfort while shaking hands

ü  Difficulty in straightening the wrist

ü  Tenderness in the bony bump on the outer elbow

So where lays the difference between a Tennis Elbow and a Golfer’s Elbow?

In a nutshell, the causes, symptoms and anatomical structures involved in a tennis elbow or golfer’s elbow are more or less similar. The only difference is that they appear on opposite sides of the elbow and the lower arm. Both result from overuse of the elbow due to repetitive actions!

How to deal with the pain?

When it comes to dealing with your elbow pain – be it Golfer’s Elbow or a Tennis Elbow – resting the arm is the initial and the most important step. Wearing wrist splints or arm slings also help. Some other solutions may involve:

Cold Therapy: Applying the ice in the affected area help to reduce the inflammation, redness and swelling. Make sure, you wrap the ice before applying it either on Golfer’s Elbow or Tennis Elbow.

Exercise: Exercises help to speed up the healing process of the Golfer’s elbow and Tennis elbow. If afflicted with Golfer’s elbow try out wrist curls, tennis ball squeeze, rubber band exercise and golfer’s elbow stretch. In case of Tennis Elbow go for sock squeeze, bicep curls, wrist extension stretch, wrist flexor stretch and handshake stretch.

Diet: An appropriate diet helps to reduce inflammation and promote tissue healing. Indulge in foods rich in vitamin A like pumpkin, sweet potatoes, spinach and carrots; Omega-3 fatty acids-fatty fishes, chia seeds, walnuts; Zinc- poultry, eggs, legumes; Copper- Dark leafy greens, dry dried fruits like prunes, cocoa and black pepper and yeast.

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