Steemit Learning Challenge-S22W5; Golfer's Elbow"

Welcome to my blog, friends!
I want to sincerely commend our teacher @ashkhan for the great and quality work done. We your students are impressed with the knowledge you share with you. Notwithstanding, this is my entry for the week's lessons.

What's a golfer's elbow? Write in your own words after getting knowledge from the lesson post. (Note: don't add special tests or investigations and detailed treatment in this question. Write the answer precisely).

Golfer's elbow, also known as medial epicondylitis, is a condition that affects the human elbow's inner region with resultant pain and inflammation. This inflammation is observed to affect the medial or epicondyle tendons, hence the name derivation.

When the muscles or tendons that connect the forearm to the medial epicondyle are tampered with, either due to injuries or any other form of irritation, it becomes inflamed and painful. This tendon damage around the elbow region could be classified based on its severity, either due to rupture, tendonitis, or tendonsis.

This is a condition that is characterized by one's daily activities or routine jobs, especially exercise that entails arm twisting, like golf, tennis, and badminton players. Some manual jobs, weightlifting, and repetitive tasks are likely triggers of the Golfer's elbow. However, let's get to look at some of the causes of Golfer's elbow condition;

Causes:

• this is a condition that is caused by overuse or repetitive use of the arm to elbow regions due to one's indulgence in daily activities or exercises.
• Accident or trauma within the elbow region that causes inflammation, injuries, or irritation as the case may be
• Age of individuals, which brings about wear and tear of the region.
• Wrong use of arm and elbow joints may be from posture or sleeping patterns that cause strain over a long period.
• Reoccurrence of treated injuries that happened in the past. This has a way of reoccurring if not well handled.

Symptoms:

Some of the observed symptoms from Golfer's elbow condition include;

• Pain and tenderness observed within the inner elbow region with the likelihood of radiating towards the forearm.
• Inflammation of the medial with observed reddish and swelling
• Observed numbness and tingling sensation within the region
• Stiffness of region that affects range of motion while arm is in use.
• Weakness around the elbow region while in use due to reduced strength in the affected joint.
• Gripping objects during activities may come with relative discomfort

Types of Golfer's Elbow

This is classified into three (3) types, namely:

1.Mild:

In this type, though we may have some presence of inflammation, we have very little or mild presence of pains and stiffness within the elbow joint. All symptom cases seem to be at a very low level without causing any serious discomfort.

2. Moderate:

Unlike the mild type, we have the presence of inflammation and irritation that seem very obvious. Pains and stiffness of the elbow region are observed to affect activities of daily living (ADLs)

Severe:

This is the last type and the most severe type in the series. It comes with severe pains around the elbow region capable of causing high discomfort while carrying out activities of daily living. There is stiffness in the area and a shortened range of motion.

Stages Of Golfer's Elbow

While discussing the stages of a Golfer's elbow condition, we have to consider these three stages;

Acute Stage:

This is a stage where we observe the emergence of inflammation and irritation around the elbow region. This is usually the beginning stage of the condition that may last for days or weeks, given the mild nature of the occurrence.

Sub-acute Stage:

This is a progressive stage that involves a higher presence of symptoms unlike what we have in acute stage. More inflammation, tenderness, redness, swelling, etc,.which may radiate doennto forearm during activities. This may happen within weeks to a month.

Chronic Stage:

This is the last stage that comes with severity of symptoms if unchecked or treated. We have all symptoms in it's fullblown stage. This can last for more than a month to years if treatment isn't given.

The recovery stage may be said to occur when treatment has been given and modification to ADLs taken into consideration. This bring about gradual reduction and reversal of symptoms.

How would you diagnose a golfer's elbow? Any clinical investigation or assessment tests? ( Don't add treatment to this question)

Diagnosing Golfer's Elbow

Through HistoryTaking:

Ascertaining the type of activities this patient does in ADLs is a focal pointer to giving us a direction. Activities that tend to expose repetitive use of the arm, especially the elbow region, are likely to make him susceptible to this condition.

Also taking note of past medical underlying conditions, injuries, or trauma within region may vital. There are tendencies of reoccurence of symptoms in this case when past injuries aren't treated properly.

Lastly, physical exmanination of region should be done so as to have first hand knowledge of symptoms.

Through Physical Examination of Region:

In doing this, we have to take a closer look at the patient. Physical conduct of the elbow region should be done in such a manner that we have clarity of purpose and direction during exmanination. Physical examination of the region would help detect swelling, irritation, inflammation, and tenderness within the elbow.

While carrying out this physical examination, patients may be asked to carry out some mild activities like lifting or moving the arm in such a way that it's range of motion within the region is observed.

Through Carrying out Imaging Tests:

The use of the imaging test type is relatively an advance method used globally to test especially conditions not physically determined holistically. Therefore, we derive specificity when the use of X-ray, Ultrasound, and MRI are considered to determine the extent of condition as well as ascertain the level of damage that has occurred internally.

For proper diagnosis, imaging test type is considered. This has been useful while diagnosing Golfer's Elbow condition.

The use of EMG and NCS diagnosing method has been vital in determining the extent of nerve damage within this region.

Through Special Tests:

We can also diagnose Golfer's Elbow through special tests. This is essential as well to help ascertain level and stages of occurrence.

1.Medial Epicondylitis Test:
In this test method, the patient is sitted in a position with elbow kept in a steady angel,.preferably at 90⁰ while.the wrist is extended. The examiner would apply pressure at the medial epicondyle during this position, and if the patient feels any pain or there are observed tenderness, then there is Golfer's Elbow.

2.Cozen's Test:
Unlike the medial epicondylitis test where the patient is seated with elbow at a 90⁰ position, and pressure is applied on the medial epicondyle, this pressure isn't needed in cozen's test. If my suspending the elbow at this angle ove time comes with pain within the medial epicondyle, then there is Golfer's Elbow.

3.Grip Strength Test:
This help to ascertain the strength of grip during test. When patient has reduced grip strength, rhen there is likely Golfer's Elbow.

4.Valgus Stress Test:
In a sitted position with the patient's elbow.guided, the examiner would tend to apply some range of motion by pushing the elbow outward. Presence of pain during this shows Golfer's Elbow.

Through Physical Interventions:

The use of physical interventions are usually corrective measures or.modofications to help us reverse some of the results diagnosd above. These are solution givers. However, this is considered as treatment procedure, which shouldn't be discussed in the question under review.

Try to practice at least 3 exercises that you have learned from the lesson. Share images, gifs or videos while practicing preferably gifs or videos.Share your review after performing these exercises either on yourself, a healthy individual or a patient.

Ball Squeezing:

This help in improving Gripping of objects, which is the finer motor activities. This help to improve the wrist and forearm muscles which are usually directly affected by Golfer's Elbow. I remembered doing this exercise before now.