Despite the name, golfer’s elbow is not limited to golfers. Repetitive movements involving the wrist, hand, and forearm can place ongoing stress on the tendons around the elbow, potentially leading to discomfort during work, exercise, hobbies, and everyday activities.

Golfer’s elbow affects the inner side of the elbow, distinguishing it from tennis elbow, which typically involves the outer side. Because several conditions can cause elbow and forearm discomfort, identifying the source of the symptoms is an important part of choosing an appropriate treatment approach.

What Is Golfer’s Elbow?

Golfer’s elbow, also known as medial epicondylitis, involves the tendons that attach the forearm muscles to the inside of the elbow.

Repeated gripping, wrist movement, or other activities that place stress on these tissues can contribute to irritation in the area. Although swinging a golf club is one possible source of repetitive stress, similar movements can occur during many other sports, occupations, exercises, and daily activities.

Symptoms may include discomfort or tenderness around the inner elbow and may become more noticeable during activities involving gripping or repeated movement of the wrist and forearm.

Golfer’s Elbow vs. Tennis Elbow

Golfer’s elbow and tennis elbow are both associated with tendons around the elbow, but they affect different areas.

Golfer’s elbow typically involves the inner elbow, while tennis elbow involves the outer side. Knowing where the discomfort occurs can provide useful information, but an evaluation is still important because other muscle, tendon, or nerve-related conditions can produce symptoms around the elbow and forearm.

Rather than treating all elbow pain in the same way, identifying the tissues and condition involved allows for a more individualized approach.

ThermoStim for Chronic Tendon Problems

ThermoStim provides one treatment option for chronic tendon-related problems such as golfer’s elbow and tennis elbow. The treatment combines three different therapeutic components within one tool: a metal blade edge, electrical muscle stimulation, and cold or heat.

During treatment, the metal edge can become cold or hot while delivering electrical stimulation as it moves across the treatment area. This combination is designed to address muscle spasms, adhesions, scar tissue, and stiffness while improving patient comfort during treatment.

ThermoStim can be particularly useful for chronic, long-tendon problems, making conditions involving the tendons around the elbow an appropriate application for this treatment approach.

Addressing Persistent Elbow Discomfort

Repetitive-use conditions can be frustrating because many of the movements that aggravate the area are also part of everyday life. Work tasks, exercise, household activities, and hobbies may all involve gripping or repeated use of the forearm.

Treatment should therefore be based on the specific condition rather than simply the location of the pain. Depending on the individual problem, a treatment plan may incorporate ThermoStim or other therapies selected according to the patient’s needs.

Patients experiencing persistent inner elbow discomfort can have the condition evaluated to determine whether golfer’s elbow or another musculoskeletal problem may be involved. To learn more about available treatment options or schedule a consultation, visit NY Disc Chiropractic.