Golfers elbow vs. Tennis elbow : Causes and Treatment

if you have chronic pain or inflammation on your elbow, then there is a high chance that you are suffering from a disease called Golfers elbow or Tennis elbow. You maybe are not a golfer or a regular tennis player, but then again you may are suffering from one of these two types of inflammation.

Tennis elbows and golfer's elbows are both injuries that are caused for the overuse of your wrist and arm in different motion for a long period of time. Both types of injuries cause chronic pain and inflammation.

Though both of the injuries are kind of similar, depending on the position of the inflammation, they are known as tennis elbow or as golfers elbow.

Tennis elbow

Tennis elbow is the irritation or inflammation in the outside of your elbow or forearm areas. Doing regular activities like raking, gardening, or cutting can lead to tennis elbow inflammation. If your age is between 30 to 60, you are at great risk of having this kind of inflammation. If the muscle of the elbow or forearm is repeatedly busy in motional work, tennis elbow can show up.

Signs and symptoms of tennis elbow

Many signs and symptoms are there that you may take help to identify whether you are suffering from a tennis elbow injury or not.

Here are some of the facts that you should be looking at to identify if it is a tennis elbow or not-

• You will feel the pain in the outside area of your forearm or elbow.
• The pain will fluctuate between the wrist and the forearm.
• The pain can be both permanent and temporary.
• In case you are having a temporary tennis elbow injury, you will feel the pain only when you will be doing certain activities that require the motion of your elbow or forearm.
• The pain can be both mild and severe depending on the condition of the injury.

Golfers elbow

The major difference between the tennis elbow and golfer's elbow is that tennis elbow is the irritation or inflammation in the outside area of your elbow or forearm, whereas a golfer's elbow is the irritation or inflammation in the inside area of your elbow or forearm area.

Lifting heavy weights, playing tennis for a long time, gardening, playing baseball or softball can lead you to this kind of inflammation or irritation.

Before reaching to the extreme level, golfers elbow also shows some signs and symptoms that you may take help to identify if it is a golfer’s elbow syndrome or not.

Signs and symptoms of golfers elbow

Here are some of the signs and symptoms that you may take help to identify whether you are suffering from golfer’s elbow or not.

• You will feel pain in the inside area of your elbow or forearm while lifting any kind of weight.
• Elbow weakness can show up if the condition is deteriorating.
• The area that is affected can be sensitive to touch.
• Inflammation or irritation can be severe and can lead to muscle injuries.
• It is highly advisable to contact a doctor as soon as possible in case you are suffering from golfer’s elbow syndrome.

Golfer’s elbow vs. tennis elbow

Here are the quick differences between tennis elbow and golfer’s elbow.

Procedures and methods that you should be following to treat tennis elbow and golfer elbow

• Doing regular exercise is the first important step that you should be taking to avoid the risk of tennis elbow and golfers elbow.
• In case you are suffering from tennis elbow or golfer’s elbow syndromes, you should contact a professional coach who knows what you should be doing to keep your elbow or forearm fit.
• Maintaining the prescription given by your doctor should get the highest priority all the time.
• Taking a balanced nutritious diet is another important issue that you should be looking at. Enough vitamin D and minerals can be quite beneficial to make your elbow fit and healthy.
• Finally, using an elbow brace while doing heavyweight tasks like weight lifting, gardening, playing, or carpeting can reduce the risk of tennis elbow or golfer's elbow injury.

Immediate treatment that you can undertake

• The very first step that you may undertake as immediate treatment is to take rest for a couple of weeks. The only thing that matters most is to give your arms and elbow some time to return to its previous shape.
• Icing in the inflamed area can be another step that you can undertake to reduce the pain.
• Taking an anti-pain reliever can also be a great option if you are having chronic pain.
• Aspirin or ibuprofen in that case can be a great option that you can take as a pain reliever.
• If the condition does not look suitable to treat at home, contact your doctor as soon as possible. Doing anything without the advice of a professional can lead to a deteriorating condition.
  

Final words

Tennis elbow and golfer’s elbow are both an injury that causes chronic inflammation or pain in the elbow or forearm area. Although most of the time both the types of injury cause for the same reason, they completely are not the same. Tennis elbow is the inflammation in the external area whereas the golfer’s elbow is the inflammation in the internal area of your forearm or elbow.