Elbow Injury

[agent99]

I had been having some right arm elbow pain for a few weeks - It hurt when I hit the ball, but I was able to play if I had a few Advils before hand.

Then I hit a small bucket of balls last Tuesday and felt something sort of snap and a sharp pain in my elbow. I was due to play with my doctor - He had a look at it quickly and said it was probably bursitis. Said icing and a few Advils would probably fix it!

It's been about a week now, so I tried hitting a few balls - Get a sharp pain each time.

The tender area is on the outside of the elbow - If I run my left handhand along the underside of my right forearm, the tender spot is just before I get to the "corner" of the elbow when it is bent.

Anyone else had this injury - Any idea how long it may take to recover (65 yrs old!) Any suggestions?

[GregJWillis]

Re: Elbow Injury

Rest it...maybe a moth if you are able. What do you do other then play golf that could be causing it? Canada get cold in the winter...chop wood? Anything other sport being played currently? How long have you played golf? Have you changed your swing any in the past few months? Are you tense at setup?

[agent99]

Re: Elbow Injury

Rest it...maybe a moth if you are able. What do you do other then play golf that could be causing it? Canada get cold in the winter...chop wood? Anything other sport being played currently? How long have you played golf? Have you changed your swing any in the past few months? Are you tense at setup?

A Month off golf in Canada!!! Hard to take, but I agree that this may be necessary.

One possible contributing cause could be using this darned computer - Sometime rest elbow on hard surface when using mouse. Also could have accidentally hit outside of elbow agains door or other hard object.

Pain started about 3 weeks ago. I had played golf 9 out of 11 days. But it was just a dull ache - It was last week on range that it got really bad - I had to drop club right after impact due to sharp pain. I still cannot hit a ball without quite sharp pain, but I can swing without pain.

I played golf as a kid, but only about 7 years since I took it up again. Currently a 4.4 index. Not tense, always making swing changes, perhaps swinging a bit hard for may age, trying to keep up with the young guys!

Cause probably combination of possible impact to elbow followed by overuse while elbow still tender.

Currently can do most things except hit a golf ball - Frustrating!

Maybe I should just practice putting for three weeks!

[GregJWillis]

Re: Elbow Injury

Ya...rest. You answered all your own questions I think.

[SIRCHOPALOT]

Re: Elbow Injury

Try wearing one of those elastic wraps around your fore-arm that helps with tendonitis. DO NOT hit any range balls off of mats or off of hard ground. Until your elbow starts feeling better I wouldn't hit any range balls at all. They usually have a harder cover than the ball you would play with.

If you save your efforts for golf course use only you should be able to play with about a one week layoff. If your symptons are similar to mine, it took about 4 months of wearing the elastic wrap EVERY time I hit a golf ball, along with not hitting range balls off the ground . My elbows feel good again. I am 55.

Good luck, this game is tough enough without having to play through pain.

[agent99]

Re: Elbow Injury

Try wearing one of those elastic wraps around your fore-arm that helps with tendonitis. DO NOT hit any range balls off of mats or off of hard ground. Until your elbow starts feeling better I wouldn't hit any range balls at all. They usually have a harder cover than the ball you would play with.

If you save your efforts for golf course use only you should be able to play with about a one week layoff. If your symptons are similar to mine, it took about 4 months of wearing the elastic wrap EVERY time I hit a golf ball, along with not hitting range balls off the ground . My elbows feel good again. I am 55.

Good luck, this game is tough enough without having to play through pain.

Thanks for the advice - Will have to go and find an elastic wrap and try it.

I havn't played for one week - Only tried hitting about 3 sand wedges yesterday plus a few tee shots with my wife's driver (I was giving her a lesson ). Still hurt way to much to consider playing for a while.

[fredblogs1]

Re: Elbow Injury

It sounds as though you have torn some ligament fibres.
After the initial injury you would have had a tiny amount of bleeding in the area, followed by inflammation. Thus the pain when the muscle is used.
Treatment is unfortunately rest - do NOT use your arm more than you really have to.
I would also suggest that you see an osteopath and get some massage and ultrasound on the area to disperse the inflammation.
You could also take vitamin C (500 mg. 4 times a day) to help the healing, but don’t take it if you have gastric problems.
Hope you’re better soon.

[agent99]

Re: Elbow Injury

It sounds as though you have torn some ligament fibres.
After the initial injury you would have had a tiny amount of bleeding in the area, followed by inflammation. Thus the pain when the muscle is used.
Treatment is unfortunately rest - do NOT use your arm more than you really have to.
I would also suggest that you see an osteopath and get some massage and ultrasound on the area to disperse the inflammation.
You could also take vitamin C (500 mg. 4 times a day) to help the healing, but don’t take it if you have gastric problems.
Hope you’re better soon.

Thanks for the advice - Makes good sense.

I am quite enjoying the holiday from golf - getting some other things done! Being retired, we do play too much.

I will try the osteopath route - can't do any harm and may speed up recovery. The Vitamin C also sounds like a good bet - no gastric problems and maybe better than taking Advils.

Really appreciate the good advice on this site.

[agent99]

Re: Elbow Injury

Update - Played twice this week with a strap below elbow. 3/4 swings still hurt a bit, but I can get through game - shot 83-81 - a bit high for a 4/5 hdcp but what the heck - at least I'm out there!

Have been using ice after playing and it seems to help a lot. Also taking Vitamin C,s and Ibuprofens or Tylenol 8hrs before playing.

Seems to be on the mend.

Thanks again guys.

[jportster]

Re: Elbow Injury

I am going through my second bout of "golfer's elbow" at the tender "young" age of 44. I am right handed, and the first time I had it was on my left arm, which would be more normal than having it on my right arm. Now, however, I do have it on my right arm. In both cases, it was (is) on the outer side of the joint, meaning that technically it is "tennis elbow." As I understand it "golfer's elbow" is what it is referred to when it occurs on the inner side of the elbow. At any rate, I had gone through a painless but miserable period where I had lost distance with my driver and mid irons. Finally, my distance came back, and the main reason was a change in my take away and increased concentration on keeping the "triangle" together and swinging a bit flatter. Distance came back with the driver and a slice that I had developed with the driver also went away. I start hitting the driver once again with a draw, and started hitting it 250-280 yards which is good for me. When I did miss, I started hitting either a kind of power fade or a pull. I then proceeded to play a lot of golf in a short period of time, including a club tournament and some other club events that amounted to about three and a half rounds in one week. The following week, after nine holes of Weds night men's league, I did not feel a pop or anything like that, but I do recall having trouble getting out of a hard packed fairway bunker atmy club with an 8 iron and I believe that may have exacerbated the pain I now have. I also think that because I started swinging a bit flatter and started pulling the ball, that I have gotten my right side to fire a bit too hard, which is why I have developed pain on my outer right elbow. In other words, impressed with the fact that I found my driver swing again (I hit very well off the tee in the aforementioned club tournament), I over-compensated, and the now over-active right side developed tennis elbow since it is essentiall a motion similar to a forehand stroke in tennis (for a right handed golver/tennis player like me. I tried to play through the pain and had a disatrous outing in my Weds night men's league. So, I laid off a week and then played with some friends at another country club (and made sure to wear the tennis elbow band). Played okay, and iced my arm in the clubhouse right away after the round (and had a couple of tequila and tonics as well - though this meant I had to skip the Advil that night). Pain was manageable, but decided to lay off now for at least two weeks as I have a match coming up in the team match play tournament at my club in late June. Icing really helps, and I later alternate with Icy Hot and massage it myself which also seems to help. Is there a lesson in all this - yes, I think it is swing easy and if you make a swing change don't overdo it. Like Harvey Penick said, "If I tell you to take an aspirin, don't go and swallow the whole bottle." Other than resting, icing, elevating and massaging, there isn't too much else to do.

[aftford]

Re: Elbow Injury

Hi
Sounds like oyu are suffering from golfers elbow.Golfer's elbow, or medial epicondylitis, is similar to its counterpart, tennis elbow. The primary differences between these conditions are the location of the pain and the activity that leads to injury. However, both conditions are cuased by overuse of the muscles and tendons of the forearm, leading to inflammation and pain around the elbow joint.

You really need to heed the advice from greg. If you continue to traumatise the medial ligament of the elbow , it will lead to ACUTE MEDIAL EPICONDYLITIS , and the rest period from this is a hell of a lot longer than 3-4 weeks, plus you run the risk of cuasing permanent weakness of the elbow, which basically means you will never fully enjoy your golf rounds.
Sorry to sound sound so blunt but you must REST IT....

[SonicBoomGolf]

Re: Elbow Injury

I also had golfer’s elbow a few years ago. Rest and ice took care of the issue and I haven’t had any problems with it ever since. While I am not 100% sure, the summer I did have the elbow problem I was spending a lot of time hitting off mats. I try to avoid mats as much as possible now.