“People often think of golf as a relatively safe, low-injury game,” said Bobby Chhabra, MD, orthopaedic surgeon and member of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) Academy’s Leadership Fellows Program. “Golfers – especially beginners, who haven’t learned proper techniques yet – are more susceptible to injuries from overuse and poor mechanics." 

One of the more common golf injuries is medial epicondylitis, typically referred to as golfer's elbow, a form of tendinitis caused by overuse of the muscles and tendons of the forearm, resulting in pain and inflammation around the elbow joint. 

Michael Hoffman has been a member of the PGA since 1987 and has given thousands of golfing lessons over the years. In his opinion, golfer's elbow is caused by players putting too much pressure on the club with their hands. "Players have a tendency to squeeze the club because they think they have more control this way, which is false. This puts quite a bit of stress on the tendon and then you have impact between the club and the ball at 70 - 115 miles per hour. OUCH!"

Despite its name, golfer's elbow can affect even those who have never stepped foot on the fairway. Chiropractor and sports injury expert, Dr. Paul Newhart, warns that any activity with repetitive motion, such as swinging a racquet or using a hammer, can cause this inflammation. Common treatments, according to Dr. Newhart, include: limiting the repetitive activity, icing the injury, electrical stimulation, ultrasound, myofascial release, and low level laser.

So don't let medial epicondylitis spoil your walk along the links or your DIY project. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons suggests building up forearm muscles with these simple exercises.
 

Squeeze a tennis ball
Squeezing a tennis ball for five minutes at a time is a simple, effective exercise that will strengthen your forearm muscles.

Wrist curls
Use a lightweight dumbbell. Lower the weight to the end of your fingers, and then curl the weight back into your palm, followed by curling up your wrist to lift the weight an inch or two higher. Perform 10 repetitions with one arm, and then repeat with the other arm.

Reverse wrist curls
Use a lightweight dumbbell. Place your hands in front of you, palm side down. Using your wrist, lift the weight up and down. Hold the arm that you are exercising above your elbow with your other hand in order to limit the motion to your forearm. Perform 10 repetitions with one arm, and then repeat with the other arm.

Links

Resistance training for performance and injury prevention in golf
An extensive and detailed article from the Journal of the Canadian Chiropractic Association
http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1839980

Everything you ever wanted to know about golfer's elbow from the Mayo Clinic
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/golfers-elbow/DS00713

Your swing isn't the only thing that can injure you on the links; golf cart injuries are on the rise.
http://www.webmd.com/news/20080612/golf-cart-injuries-on-the-rise
 
 
 

To return to FitStuff's main pages: click here