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Tendonitis - Golfers Elbow

Well I think I have an interesting update. First of all thanks for all your suggestions and support.

It turns out that the source of my Elbow pain was an improperly sized grip on my new clubs.

Let me explain. I had recently decided to update my gear and went into a fitter to make sure I had the latest gear with the best fit.

Long story short I settled on the XR PRO IRONS the UST MAMIYA RECOIL GRAPHITE 460 SHAFT.

Upon his recommendation I settled on a midsize grip from my prior Oversize grips I have used for over ten years. He measured my palms and assured me that I didn't need grips that were over size. He also mentioned that the wrong size grips prevent you from swinging on plane.

Well just recently I went out with my old clubs and viola. No elbow pain. At first I wasn't convinced and I went to the range and hit a large bucket. Again no pain. So finally I regripped my new clubs. And presto. Pain hasn't returned.

So FYI. Anyone who has been suffering from elbow or joint pain. Make sure your grips fit you properly. Experiment with different sizes. You never now. With a proper grip my forearm muscles are more relaxed and function correctly during my swing. This was all it took to eliminate my pain.

Now back to the range for some fun
 
Thanks Johan, I also had some serious tendinitis in my left (lead) elbow. I took some time off, switched to graphite shafts in everything but my 58* wedge and putter and it got quite a bit better.

After my most recent lesson, my instructor had me strengthen my grip and get it more in the fingers (was more in the palm previously. I was doing a lot of manipulation of the face with my hands/forearms to compensate for some swing flaws.

While it is really difficult to ingrain changes (especially a grip) I am starting to hit much better shots and I have not noticed any pain in my elbow even though I have been swinging quite a bit more in the last few weeks.

Besides the size of your grip, might check your swing as there are certain motions that will aggravate the tendinitis more.
 
I've had this for about 20 years. I got it from playing piano and doing keyboard work and weight training. R.I.C.E. didn't cut it. Physical Therapy didn't cut it. Nothing did. It's not bad enough for surgery. I have a problem with my elbow joint that will cause a tendency toward this.

I just deal with it.
 
I played with graphite shafts the last 2 years and it didnt do anything for my golfers elbow.
I'm a contractor so between daily swinging a hammer, painting, drywall etc (and age) the problem got worse.
What really helps is the Therma-band flexbar and doing the exercise for golfers/tennis elbow. For the first time in 2 years I can golf without any arm brace.
 
Believe it or not but I have several friends who have applied Tichnor's Mouthwash to elbows and the problem has gone away within a couple of weeks to never return again. The stuff is highly concentrated and can't be used as a mouthwash without diluting it heavily. Good, apparently, for other aches and pains as well!
 
I'm a proponent of KT Tape. I haven't used it on an elbow but have used it on my back and some plantar fasciitis I was dealing with in my foot. I don't know why or how, but that stuff just works. Their website has videos showing all the different applications and it's pretty easy.
 
I used to have pain around my left elbow. Switched to graphite shafts in my irons and haven't had any left-elbow pain since.
 
So far the graphite shafts and the grip change has cured my elbow problem.

No pain what so ever for over a month. I have even stopped using the mid forearm tendinitis brace.

On a side note I have also sworn off practicing on mats for life.

Rather get rusty than risk injury from a fat chunky swing on the range.
 
My tendinitis is, literally, waking me up at night... Right elbow is KILLING me. Tried ice, massage, stretching, physical therapy, chiropractic, etc, and it's not going away. Sadly, I play very little golf, so I know that isn't aggravating it.
 
Pkielwa said:
My tendinitis is, literally, waking me up at night... Right elbow is KILLING me. Tried ice, massage, stretching, physical therapy, chiropractic, etc, and it's not going away. Sadly, I play very little golf, so I know that isn't aggravating it.
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I had to double-check to make sure that post wasn't written by ME.

I've been dealing with it since October, and I will finally be seeing an orthopedic next week.

Mine doesn't hurt during golf, only after.
 
O'Carroll said:
I had to double-check to make sure that post wasn't written by ME.

I've been dealing with it since October, and I will finally be seeing an orthopedic next week.

Mine doesn't hurt during golf, only after.
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Double check your grip size and give the graphite shafts a try.

Because I was at a point of quitting. The pain was so bad I was taking ibuprofen every six holes and two before I started.

Now I am fine thank god.

But for we the grips were making me use the wrong muscles in my forearm leading to tendinitis.

Best of luck.

Get better asap
 
I have a partially torn tendon in my right elbow, laid off golf for a couple of years because of it. I read the post below and really like the support he reccomends. I can play a round and my elbow is fine afterward. They are pricey but IMHO worth it.

"There is one strap that at least in the category of straps stands out head and shoulders above the others. It is made by Bauerfeind, a company that specializes in supports of this type. The Bauerfieind Epipoint strap is an impressive design. They have gone a long way to optimize the performance of their strap. It is the only strap I know of that is designed such that it conforms to the shape of the upper forearm and elbow. As such it provides maximum support to the area that needs it. in addition their pad is very well designed and is intended to provide the most support for a strap type device. All of these straps have a pad of some sort that is actually providing support at the point where it is needed to impact the effected area. Simply put, based on having used several of these devices the Bauerfeind provides the most support while also doing the most to limit constriction of blood flow which is vital to the healing process. The Bauerfeind strap is far and away the most expensive of its type and is clearly the kind of medical device where you are paying as much for the R&D as anything else. However the difference in comfort and support is remarkable. It is Mercedes Benz to Pacer like when compared to the others that you can find on the market. As such I would say those of us that are middle aged and older might be the most likely candidates for it.

As we age the healing process is more time consuming, requires more patience and the chance is probably greater that we injure the joint even further if we are not careful. Hence the added cost is likely worth it for us.

Bauerfeind also makes a support that goes from the middle of the forearm and over the elbow. It is more costly but offers an incredible amount of support to the elbow again without constricting blood flow. If you have maybe let your elbow go farther than you should have and are really worried that you are going to have to put yourself completely on the shelf for a time, the full support might be worth considering."
 
I've been fighting golfers and tennis elbow for a couple years, last year it got to the point I couldn't hit a ball without pain.
Tried a number of remedys, no effect. Even the long winter layoff wasn't helping, still hurt during routine tasks.

I bought a flexbar - brandname's Theraband. I've been doing the recommended Tyler Twist and reverse twist for about 3 weeks, and while I'm not 100% pain free I DO have significant improvement.
Played 3 rounds so far, and I get some pain after but much less. Can open a jar without screaming again, which is also nice.

I don't know how much credence to put in it, but I've read of a study where they gave these to a group of sufferers and wound up cutting the study short to let the control group have them as well. Claimed around 80% of the group saw "improvement". Seems to be working decently for me, and I haven't been overzealous...set of 15 maybe 3 times a day, missing the odd day. Worth a try if you're having issues, bars are around $25 Canadian here.
 
My elbow pain has waned significantly but occasionally it will pop up again without warning. I might have to pick one of these up as the reviews line up exactly with what you saw.

jmatt said:
I've been fighting golfers and tennis elbow for a couple years, last year it got to the point I couldn't hit a ball without pain.
Tried a number of remedys, no effect. Even the long winter layoff wasn't helping, still hurt during routine tasks.

I bought a flexbar - brandname's Theraband. I've been doing the recommended Tyler Twist and reverse twist for about 3 weeks, and while I'm not 100% pain free I DO have significant improvement.
Played 3 rounds so far, and I get some pain after but much less. Can open a jar without screaming again, which is also nice.

I don't know how much credence to put in it, but I've read of a study where they gave these to a group of sufferers and wound up cutting the study short to let the control group have them as well. Claimed around 80% of the group saw "improvement". Seems to be working decently for me, and I haven't been overzealous...set of 15 maybe 3 times a day, missing the odd day. Worth a try if you're having issues, bars are around $25 Canadian here.
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I would go see a golf pro about my swing too. I have done a lot of work on my swing and have not had any issues with tennis elbow since I got rid of the over the top and got swinging in to out. Not to discount your discomfort but fixing the root cause of the problem would be better than treatment and reoccurrence, in my books anyway.
 
I don't often get a chance to reply as much as I would like to but after suffering from tennis elbow for about a year it was painful to play golf, practice, or even lift a ketchup bottle if the angle was wrong. I went to see a doctor and he recommended a cortisone shot; I obliged and it did provide a temporary period of relief. However, a few weeks later the pain was back. I actually decided to purchase a set of Apex Pro Irons with Recoil Shafts hoping this would help and solve my problem; I did not.

I began doing online research on excersises I could do to alleviate the pain. I began reading about a product called Thera-Band Flexbar and the many people who had success using the product. I decided to purchase the Flexbar and give it a try.

I'm in no way affiliated or have any relationship with any vendor who sells or promotes the Flexbar; But I can say with 100% certainty it has solved my Tennis elbow problem! I use it nighty while watching TV; it took some weeks, but has been a life/golf saver. So much so I purchased a set of TM RSI TP Irons with KBS Tour 90 Shafts, no issues with the elbow at all.

To the OP I hope this review helps; and best of luck in your quest for relief.
 
Pkielwa said:
My tendinitis is, literally, waking me up at night... Right elbow is KILLING me. Tried ice, massage, stretching, physical therapy, chiropractic, etc, and it's not going away. Sadly, I play very little golf, so I know that isn't aggravating it.
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I am just recovering from surgery over having this issue. It went on for a year until I finally had the nerve in my elbow relocated. I no longer play with the pain or numbness in my fingers. My doctor said no amount of RICE would have solved my issue. Surgery was the only solution.
 
Suffering from this now, HORRIBLE pain on inside part of elbow. Doesn't hurt to swing a club but can't lift anything straight up with arm out straight or even roll over on a pillow!. I'm wearing a brace around forearm almost 24 hours a day. Sucks!
 
I had this really bad a few years ago from bowling. Only way to get it to heal was to not bowl anymore. Stopped about 2 years ago and have been virtually pain free since. I also switched to graphite shafts in my irons and that has helped a ton as well. No more soreness after a round and no more icing down my arm when I get home.
 
TheHeez said:
I'm a proponent of KT Tape. I haven't used it on an elbow but have used it on my back and some plantar fasciitis I was dealing with in my foot. I don't know why or how, but that stuff just works. Their website has videos showing all the different applications and it's pretty easy.
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I've seen KT Tape before, but I never had a reason to use it or try it, so I thought. Makes sense this would work, at least worth a try.
 
Hi - new golfer, new member here, and first post. Just took up golf 4 weeks ago at age 61. Finished my 4th lesson this morning, and sitting here with ice on my elbow as I type, obviously feeling the same ailment as all of you here. Been using the RICE between lessons and it's working pretty good, but after practices and lessons, comes right back. Going to order the Theraband also I think.

All great info here - thank you all very much ! Here's my questions - maybe from a slightly different angle..

What specific things/components, about your swing, posture, grip, etc actually cause or aggravate this ? I can't help but convince myself that if there's something 'off' about the way I swing and strike the ball, and I could narrow it down, I could fix it. My teacher is always adjusting things he sees me doing wrong, but perhaps there's something fundamental in the way I'm swinging/gripping, that I could refine, and at least subdue the negative effects.

Or is it simply my age, and the lack of previous use of these muscles in this configuration, that has my body rebelling until it becomes more accustomed and stretched properly ?

JimInFL
 
JimInFL said:
Hi - new golfer, new member here, and first post. Just took up golf 4 weeks ago at age 61. Finished my 4th lesson this morning, and sitting here with ice on my elbow as I type, obviously feeling the same ailment as all of you here. Been using the RICE between lessons and it's working pretty good, but after practices and lessons, comes right back. Going to order the Theraband also I think.

All great info here - thank you all very much ! Here's my questions - maybe from a slightly different angle..

What specific things/components, about your swing, posture, grip, etc actually cause or aggravate this ? I can't help but convince myself that if there's something 'off' about the way I swing and strike the ball, and I could narrow it down, I could fix it. My teacher is always adjusting things he sees me doing wrong, but perhaps there's something fundamental in the way I'm swinging/gripping, that I could refine, and at least subdue the negative effects.

Or is it simply my age, and the lack of previous use of these muscles in this configuration, that has my body rebelling until it becomes more accustomed and stretched properly ?

JimInFL
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You're taking lessons, so I'd think the actual swing wouldn't be an issue. An overly tight grip can make it worse, though. Possibly larger grips could help you relax grip pressure.
Tennis / Golfer's elbow are repetitive strain injuries, essentially tiny tears.
For me, it was a downhill lie where I attempted to move the planet from under the ball that set my elbow off. Digging at the ball can aggravate the tendon tears causing the pain.

A month probably just isn't long enough for you to have adapted. Perhaps trying a Flexbar or some of the stretching exercises online could help as well. Only takes 5-10 minutes a day.


Really, stretching will help. I use a Flexbar, but there's any number of simple stretches that can help.
 
Hi Jim. Are you hitting off mats? That's a massive contributor to elbow problems for me. I find a grass range. Also, I'm much more of a sweeper of the golf ball rather than taking big divots. My pro has me hitting a nice draw with a inside to outside swing. I take shallow divots. Way easier on my elbows. I focus on clubhead and clubpath. Not weight shift. When I focus on weight shift I take bigger divots and the elbow flares up. That's just my 2 cents. Works for me.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
You might think about having it looked at. I thought I had golfer's elbow and tried all kinds of physical therapy, rest, ice, etc. But when I finally had an xray it turned out I had a bone spur on the tricep tendon. No amount of physical therapy was going to help - had the spur removed surgically and it's been fine since.
 
Thanks to all for the input. Update..

At this point I may have been stupid, and might get it looked at as niwotian suggested above.

Based on more reading, I tried the Thera-Band Flex to add some 'gentle' stretching as it was resting for a few days. As I sometimes do, I might have gotten a little aggressive with it. (at least I'm willing to take the blame at this point although I'm not 100% sure). Now I'm bruised from my wrist, up my arm to the elbow. The pain isn't much honestly - just a bit annoying at night sleeping, and looks pretty bad.

My next lesson is Wednesday (this is Monday) and we're starting on long irons. Not sure what I'm going to do.

JimInFL
 
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