Golfers Elbow Treatment
What’s The Best And Most Important Treatment For Golfer’s Elbow?
Is it the often-recommended:
- Anti-inflammatory pills?…
- Strict icing regimen?…
- Should you wear a brace?…
- Get a Cortisone shot?
Well, it depends on what you want to treat: Just your symptoms (the way conventional medicine often does)…
Or is it your priority to treat and address the underlying cause of your Golfer’s Elbow “Medial Epicondylitis” injury?
If you just want temporary relief and aren’t concerned about healing you could pick any (or all) of the conventional-wisdom “remedies” in list above, (and countless others) and see how much pain relief you get…
But, I just want to gently remind you that pain relief is not necessarily the same thing as healing.
(I know you know this, but it’s so easy to forget when you’re in pain.)
In this case, I’m going to have to break all the rules and just say that none of those things; not braces, pills, ice – and especially not shots – will help your injured tendons heal.
Your tendons may still heal somewhat IN SPITE of these interventions, but these “treatments” may actually do you more harm than good!
And you’ll find many articles and videos here on this site backing up my claim; explaining exactly WHY each of these specific things only mask your symptoms and don’t help tendons heal, so I won’t drown you in details here.
(Whether it’s Tennis OR Golfer’s Elbow – The same principles of damage and healing apply to both.)
And tendon healing is the core – The absolute essence of what you need when you have a Golfer’s Elbow injury.
In my experience and perspective the most important treatments are in this order:
- Advanced Massage Therapy – on the muscles and tendons involved. (And, yes, you can learn to do this on yourself!)
- Stretching – But a very specific and contrarian way of stretching your muscles – (Breaking the rules, again)
- And Exercises – With the understanding that exercise is a low priority in the early stages of recovery, (becoming more important as time and healing progresses.)
The reasoning comes down to this:
- Golfer’s Elbow is usually NOT a form of Tendonitis – Meaning it’s not a chronic inflammatory condition, like it’s often described as…
- Golfer’s Elbow is usually a form of Tendinosis – (especially if it’s a long-term ‘Chronic’ injury) – This means it’s a degenerative condition…
- TendinOSIS – is marked by the absence of inflammation and the absence of healing and repair!
In a word?
Stagnation Is The Problem And What Needs To Be Treated!
Stagnation = “Stuckness” in the tissues and a slowing down and or outright failure of the healing process, allowing the tendons to gradually break down.
I swear I don’t know of a better way to reverse this vicious cycle of slow, sticky build-up of muscle restrictions and tendon breakdown than to directly “get in there” with hands on pressure and release that stuckness.
And I want to encourage you to abandon “surface thinking” – The applying of things superficially (like ice, creams, braces, etc.) and to not be afraid to “go deep” and manipulate your muscles and tendons (gently and gradually, at first)…
(So long as it’s truly a typical, chronic Golfer’s Elbow injury and not something ‘acute’ – like a big, sudden tear that just happened!)
What About Physical Therapy? Will You Get This Treatment There?
Not likely here in the U.S. under the Manged Care system.
It’s rare for Physical Therapists to do this kind of ‘Manual Therapy’ (hands-on therapy) – Except in the “boutique” clinics.
You might get a couple of minutes – Possibly a lot more in Physiotherapy in other countries.
But I think the most powerful thing you can do to “take charge” of your own recovery and healing process is to learn these advanced Massage Therapy techniques and start using them on yourself regularly…
This is the most important thing I teach my Members here at Tennis Elbow Classroom (and now Golfer’s Elbow Classroom) and I truly believe this is the best treatment, and that there’s really no substitute (OR quick fix cures!)
I also teach a better, safer and more effective form of stretching as well as the key exercises.
Just follow the link below if you’d like to learn more about the program…
New Golfer’s Elbow Self-Help Program – Break your vicious cycle of elbow pain at home with the help of this self-help treatment, stretching and exercise program: What’s in the Golfer’s Elbow Program?
