When it comes to elbow pain, there are two main conditions that come to mind. Interestingly, both of these issues are associated with popular sports: tennis and golf.
Tennis elbow is pain affecting the outside portion of the elbow, in the area that would experience high levels of stress with a backhand swing.
Golfer’s elbow is a condition causing pain on the inside portion of the elbow, where one would experience high levels of stress on his or her dominant arm during a golf swing.
Unfortunately, golfer’s elbow is a very tricky condition to manage. In fact, it can take months or longer for the symptoms of golfer’s elbow to resolve on their own. However, chiropractic care may provide a good treatment option for these patients and it may speed up recovery time.
In this article, we will discuss the issue of golfer’s elbow and outline how chiropractic care can help patients deal with this tricky condition, decrease pain, and improve function.
Golfer’s Elbow Explained
On the inside of the elbow, there lies a small protuberance known as the medial epicondyle. This bony structure is an important body feature, as it serves as an attachment point for many muscles of the forearm.
When the tendons associated with the medial epicondyle become irritated due to overuse or trauma, patients often experience pain and arm weakness. Specifically, swinging a golf club is almost unbearable.
This condition doesn’t usually occur after one or two golf outings. It takes many months of consistent stress on this area for golfer’s elbow to develop. Therefore, it often takes just as long or longer for the symptoms to resolve without intervention.
Treatments for Golfer’s Elbow
When it comes to traditional medicine, there are few effective treatments for this condition. Often physicians may inject cortisone into the inflamed area in an attempt to relieve symptoms and reduce inflammation.
In the short term, cortisone may help to reduce pain and improve symptoms in these patients. But this treatment is simply masking the underlying issue. Therefore, once the medication wears off, patients can experience a recurrence of symptoms.
Some physicians may even trial surgery to address this issue. By cutting into the tight and inflamed tissue, it’s believed that the tension in this area will be relieved.
However, surgeries can never truly be reversed. Once you’ve gone under the knife, for all intents and purposes, you will never be able to undo what the surgeon has done. For this reason, surgery should always be an absolute last resort. It’s important to try all other treatment methods first before resorting to these drastic measures.
Chiropractic Care and Golfer’s Elbow
A chiropractor’s primary goal is to keep the spine in perfect alignment. This is because when the spine is out of alignment, the body tends to have a tough time healing from injuries.
In order to correct a spinal misalignment, chiropractors perform a treatment known as an adjustment or a manipulation. Interestingly, some patients experience symptom relief a few minutes after receiving chiropractic treatment.
When it comes to golfer’s elbow specifically, chiropractic care may help to improve the connection between the inner elbow and the spine. In this way, the central nervous system can better triage the injury by sending healing factors toward the damaged tissue.
Are you experiencing golfer’s elbow, tennis elbow, or some other form of elbow pain? You don’t have to suffer any longer! Our experienced chiropractic team at At Last Chiropractic, the go-to chiropractors in Lithia, FL, would love to help you today! Book your appointment right now to take the first step on your road toward recovery.
