Golf Elbow Info: Treatment, Home Remedies, Causes and Prevention

By dj-admin •  Updated: 07/14/23 •  6 min read

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Golf Elbow is a common injury in golfers of all levels. It can be difficult to tell whether or not you have a golf elbow injury, and even more difficult to find the best treatment for it. The good news is that there are many different treatments available, so we’ve taken the time to compile them into one article. We’ll also discuss home remedies for golfers, such as icing your arm or getting a massage from a professional therapist.

Treatment Options

First, let’s talk about the best treatment for golf elbow: physical therapy. Physical therapists are professionals who specialize in dealing with injuries and can offer some great advice on how to get rid of your pain fast. The first thing they will do is assess what caused your injury- whether it was a one-time event or something that occurred over time. They’ll also take a look at your golf swing, and if they can see that you’re doing something wrong with it then they will help you correct that.

Does the golf elbow go away on its own?

Unfortunately, the golf elbow is a chronic injury and it may not go away on its own. That doesn’t mean that you should give up hope though! You can still try physical therapy before exploring any other options for treatment.

What causes golfers to get golfer’s elbow?

Golf Elbow Info Treatment, Home Remedies, Causes and Prevention - pro golfers get golf elbow

There are many different factors that could be causing your pain. Many physical therapy sports specialists can help you determine if you are swinging the clubs incorrectly causing the flare-up of the tendons in your elbow. If this is the case they can help correct your swing to help correct the problem at the source.

In making the correction to your swing you should notice this pain start to level out over time. This won’t be a fast-healing situation though. As we have seen that tendon issues in the elbow can take a good amount of time to heal. Physical therapy exercises and ice and heat can help reduce the pain that is caused by golf elbow.

Home Remedies

Some of the best home remedies for golf elbow are simply icing the arm or getting a massage from a professional therapist. You can find quite a few golf elbow home remedies on the internet too.

Causes

The causes of golf elbow can be anything from a direct blow one day with an injury such as when we bump into something or someone accidentally hits us with something heavy or we hit our arm on a table.
Another cause of golf elbow is when you have an inflammatory condition such as tendonitis, arthritis, bursitis, rheumatoid arthritis, and carpal tunnel syndrome.

Prevention

gripping the club too tight

Icing the arm after playing golf can help prevent pain from developing into golf ulnar neuropathy. Golfers should also avoid gripping the club too tight as this puts undue pressure on our arm muscles and tendons, which can lead to golf elbow in some cases. Keep your elbows bent a bit when swinging the golf club so you don’t strain them.

Do pro golfers get golf elbow?

While golf elbow is very common among amateur golfers, pro golfers do not get it as often. This is usually because pro golfers work with physical therapists regularly, as well as have their swing dialed in perfectly to protect their bodies from getting injured. Often amateur players don’t even realize that they are doing harm to their bodies by gripping the clubs too tightly or not bending their elbows correctly when driving the ball.

Tips for curing golf elbow pain

Golf Elbow Info Treatment, Home Remedies, Causes and Prevention - cold compress

Talk to your golf instructor if you are still having trouble after trying these home remedies and see what they recommend next. Often a complete break from golfing is required in order to allow the tendons in the elbow to heal correctly.( This is usually a last resort as golfers don’t want to stop playing, but in severe cases, this may be the best option for healing purposes.)

Alternating ice and heat

Another method for treating golf elbow is to alternate between ice and heat compression. Ice can help with inflammation in the tendons and heat can actually help bring more blood flow to the elbow which can increase the rate of healing. You can also make use of items like “icy hot”, to try and relieve some of the tension and pain associated with golf elbow.

Will golf elbow pain ever go away?

Yes, it will. Often it is just a slow healing process and can feel like it takes a very long time for healing to take place. Don’t lose hope or get disheartened. It will heal with proper care and time.

Other Treatment Options

There are a lot of treatments for golf elbow available. The best treatment is often dependent on the severity and type of injury that has occurred, so it’s advised to consult with your doctor if you have an underlying condition or were recently injured. Some home remedies may be appropriate in certain cases, but this should only ever be a temporary treatment and not a long-term one.

As mentioned, it’s vital for golfers to take care of their equipment in order to avoid injury or worsening an existing condition. Ensuring the grip is set at just the right pressure can help prevent elbow pain as well as other types of injuries such as tennis arm (lateral epicondylitis) or golfer’s elbow (medial epicondylitis).

Lastly, it’s important to remember that if you are having issues with elbow pain that you seek medical attention as soon as possible. Often players try to play through the pain. This is not advised as you could potentially create more damage to the tendons in your elbow making a proper healing time even longer.

In Conclusion

We hope all this golf elbow info sheds light on why your elbows hurt when you golf. Remember to follow the home remedies listed above only after you have spoken to your doctor about the best way to cure your elbow pain.