How Do You Fix Golfer’s Elbow?

Golfer's elbow usually affects the dominant arm (for example, the right arm in people who are right-handed). Symptoms of golfer’s elbow include:

• Pain that may have a sudden onset or that develops gradually over time
• Pain along the palm side of the forearm, from the elbow to the wrist, on the same side as the little finger
• Pain is felt when bending the wrist toward the palm against resistance, or when squeezing a rubber ball
• Pain in the elbow that spreads into the upper arm or down to the forearm
• Forearm weakness 
• Difficulty with activities requiring arm strength, such as sports that that involve hitting backhand or throwing a ball

Golfer's elbow is caused by overuse of the muscles attached to the elbow that is used to bend the wrist toward.

Medial epicondylitis is often called golfer's elbow or baseball elbow because it can be caused by swinging a golf club or pitching a baseball. 

Other causes of medial epicondylitis include:

• Weak shoulder and wrist muscles
• Serving with great force in tennis or using a spin serve
• Carrying a heavy suitcase
• Using an ax to chop wood 
• Operating a chain saw
• Repeated use of other hand tools on a continuous basis
• Using a tennis racket that is too tightly strung, too short, or too heavy 
• Throwing a javelin

Golfer’s elbow is usually diagnosed based on a physical examination, where a doctor will check the area for tenderness and swelling. The doctor may also ask you to rest the arm on a table, palm side up, and raise the hand by bending the wrist against resistance.

Other tests may be used to rule out other causes of the pain, such as nerve damage, and may include:

• Ultrasound
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
• X-rays
• Electromyography (EMG)