Golfers elbow is one of the most frustrating golf injuries. We’ve put together some tips to help cure golfers elbow and get you playing pain-free, injury-free golf for years to come. There are many causes of this nagging injury, and we’ll list some of the more common ones right here,but here are the symptoms to know you are experiencing golfers elbow.

Symptoms

• Pain and tenderness on the inner side of your elbow. Sometimes the pain extends along the inner side of your forearm.
• Stiffness. Your elbow may feel stiff, and it may hurt to make a fist.
• Weakness. You may have weakness in your hands and wrists.
• Numbness or tingling. Many people with golfer’s elbow experience numbness or a tingling sensation that radiates into one or more fingers — usually the ring and little fingers.

The pain in the elbow may come on suddenly or gradually. It may also get worse when you:

• Swing a golf club
• Shake hands
• Turn the nob on a door
• Use your palm to pick something up
• Flex your wrist toward your forearm

Treatments

• Rest. You’ve go to back off what’s irritating your elbow. Unfortunately that means golf, until the pain goes away. If you come back prematurely, it will only be worse.
• Ice the affected area. Use packs of ice on the painful area for 15 to 20 minutes at a time. Up to 4 times a day for the first few days. To make sure you don’t damage your skin, use a thin towel. You may also want to rub the area with an ice cube for 5 minutes at a time, for 2-3 times a day.
• Stretch and strengthen the muscles and tendons. A physical therapist can give you effective exercises, such as squeezing a small rubber ball, and stretching your forearm muscles.
• Take the pressure of the elbow. Wrap your elbow with an elastic bandage or use a forearm strap.
• Take an over-the-counter pain relieve pill. Try ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others), naproxen (Aleve), acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) or aspirin.
• Consider other medications. If over-the-counter pain relievers aren’t effective, your doctor may recommend a cortisone injection to reduce pain and swelling.
• Slowly start hitting balls. Pitching 20 yards even. Make sure you don’t have swing technique issues causing this to reoccur.
• Ask your physician if surgery is needed. This is a last resort, but if you don’t respond to treatment, surgery may be an option.

Golfers elbow can turn into a serious matter and keep you from the game for a long time, so act quickly if you get some of the symptoms.