So, what’s the difference between golf elbow and tennis elbow? What causes them, and how can you treat them? These are very important questions that deserve answers, because the sooner you find out the cause, the sooner you can start to heal. In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the differences between golfing elbow (or golfer’s elbow, as it is often called) and tennis elbow, and explain why you may be affected.
Tennis elbow occurs most commonly in older men, with around 40% of men having developed the condition by the time they reach the age of 45. Golfers have a slightly higher incidence, but it’s not anything that cannot be treated. The condition causes pain that feels like there’s a piece of rubber wrapped around the arm, and that’s down by the side of your shoulder. The cause of golf elbow is quite different: instead of a rubber band around the arm, it’s a stress fracture.
Stress fractures are caused by a sudden, rapid pull on a ligament (the tendons). Usually, the ligament is strong enough to withstand the pull, but some bones (especially those that are heavy) can over-strain the ligament, causing a fracture. This happens all the time, but the resulting injury is much less common than the golf elbow type. The ligament itself is rarely damaged in the event of a stress fracture, so treatment is usually limited to physical therapy and other, non-surgical options.
There are two distinct differences between golfers’ tennis elbow and the less obvious counterpart. One is obvious – golfers are older. The other is less obvious: while the vast majority of golfers will develop the condition eventually, many of them (especially younger, stronger golfers) never show any symptoms. This is probably because the vast majority of us don’t have golf-elbow strength as a major goal.
If you do have a problem with your elbow while playing golf or tennis, then it’s important to treat it immediately. The sooner you can get the problem treated, the better. Both conditions will impair your golf performance and treating the elbow before it becomes more serious will likely mean that you will be able to return to the game more quickly. The best course of action is to try to keep the elbow stable as much as possible, and to avoid aggravating the condition even if you can’t swing the club as much.
Tennis players tend to be especially susceptible to swelling around their elbow joints. When this swelling occurs, tendons can become irritated. This makes the tendons in the elbow more sensitive and makes breaking the ball (and particularly powerful swings) more painful. It’s also been found that golfers who use the muscles of their hands and arms a lot have developed this condition more often than other golfers.
Fortunately, the tendons at the base of the thumb are protected by a “tendon capsule” – a hard, rubbery tissue that protects the tendons and helps them to move independently. In most cases, golf elbow isn’t caused by an injury to this tissue, but by some other cause. If it’s not an injury, tendon calcaneus syndrome causes a similar syndrome. Tendon calcaneus syndrome is also seen in tennis players.
If you have golf elbow, you should make sure to keep the area between your elbow and your wrist stable. If you have tennis elbow, you’ll want to rest your elbow while avoiding strengthening exercises and activities that could stretch the tendons. Make sure that you take some anti-inflammatory medication, and use a strap to support the injured area. Most people with golf elbow feel better within a day or two, although symptoms may be minimal for others.