Hello friends. Hope your having a great day. This is my entry on season 22 week 5 topic on Golfer's Elbow. My sincere appreciation to @ashkhan for such a wonderful teaching on this week. His classes are always very much fun and easy to understand.
Designed by canvas
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)
A Golfer's Elbow is a medical condition that affects the muscles and tendons in the forearm, near the elbow joint. It is medically called epicondylitis.
Epicondylitis is simply the inflammation of the tendon and muscles in the elbow causing pain and tenderness.
This pain could be severe, moderate or mild
This condition is common among sportsman that uses their arms frequently. Examples like golf players, table and long tennis players, badminton players and even basket ballers. Even some manner job workers are at risk because they lift heavy objects, use their arms often which might trigger this condition
Causes
Golfer's Elbow is called by
•The repeated use of the elbow during an exercise, sport or during daily activities
•Accident or injury that affects the elbow hereby causing inflammation
•Placing the elbow wrongly during sleeping or weightlifting or general body posture
•Age can also be another cause. It is more common in older people than in younger people
•A history of Golfer's Elbow can trigger the occurance of another if it wasn't properly healed
Symptoms of Golfer's Elbow
The main symptoms of Golfer's Elbow include
•Severe or mild pain and tenderness inside the elbow
•Weakness of the forearm or wrist due to excessive use of the arm
•Stiffness of the elbow or forearm
•Numbness or insensitivity of the fingers
•Red patches on the elbow can be a symptom of a tear or inflammation of the tendon or muscles of the elbow
•Difficulty in gripping
####Types of Golfer's Elbow
•Mild Golfer's Elbow
Mild Golfer's Elbow is one which the pain is mild especially when gripping or twisting, but this pain does not significantly affect one's daily activity. In this type, an ice compression can stop the pain
•Moderate Golfer's Elbow
In this type, there is moderate pain on the inside of the elbow which is noticed at the forearm or wrist. The symptoms here are stiffness of the elbow, weakness of the wrist and forearm. Daily activities like lifting, gripping can be discomforting
•Severe Golfer's Elbow
The pain here is constant and worsened by movement. It is characterised by numbness and tingling in the fingers, weakness in the wrist and forearm and also difficulty in moving elbow and wrist. Daily activities are greatly hindered. Surgery may be needed in this case to repair damaged muscles followed by physiotherapy
Stages of Golfer's Elbow
• Acute Stage
This normally is between from the 1st to 7th day.
It begins with the sudden onset of pain inside the elbow especially when gripping or twisting.
•Sub-acute stage
This stage is often less than one month after the sudden onset of the pain
•Chronic Stage
This stage last beyond one month. It is characterised by severe and persistent pain, limited mobility, the tendon and muscles of the elbow might begin to degenerate leading to chronic pain
How would you diagnose a golfer's elbow? Any clinical investigation or assessment tests?
To diagnose Golfer's Elbow, it involves the combination of clinical assessment, physical examination and diagnostic test
•Clinical Assessment
In here, history taken of the patient will be taken. Ask questions about the symptoms, onset, duration and severity of the case
Know if the patient has suffered from the condition in the past or if there has been any injury, trauma or accident at that area(forearm, elbow and wrist)
•Physical Examination
-Inspection: Inspection is done with the eyes, look and observe the elbow, wrist and forearm for any unusual sign or deformity, inflammation, or swelling.
-Palpation: It is done with the use of the hand. Press on the epicondyle, that is the bony pump on the side of the elbow to check for tenderness
-Range of motion: Check out the flexion, extension, pronation and supination of the elbow and forearm
-Muscle Strength: Access grip strength and forearm muscle strength
•Diagnostic Test
-X ray: An x ray should be performed to rule out fractures, osteoarthritis or any other bony abnormalities
-Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI): This is to check out for arthritis, tissue or tendon rupture, and muscle damage
EMG & NCS is also performed to assess the nerve damage and muscle strength.
•Through Special Tests
In physiotherapy, special tests are conducted to confirm the diagnosis of Golfer's Elbow
Medial Epicondyle Test:
In the medial epicondyle test, the patient sits it stand with his/her hand extended forward and the elbow straight at an Angle 90°. The examiner facing opposite the patient, applies a gentle force on the medial epicondyle. If the patient feels any pain or discomfort, then there is Golfer's Elbow.
Cozen's Test
In cozen's test, the patient sits down with arms stretched at angle 90°.The examiner assesses the pain on the outside of the elbow (lateral epicondyle). If the wrist extension is difficult or painful, then it can be a sign of Golfer's Elbow
Valgus Stress Test
In this test, the patient sits with his elbow bended. The therapist tries to push the elbow forward to a 90° position. If the patient feels pain or discomfort in this process, it is a sign of Golfer's Elbow
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
•Wrist Isometric Exercise
This is a type of exercise where you contract your wrist muscles without moving your the joint of wrist.
Your arms are held out with the palm faced down. Rotate your wrist inward and outward without actually moving your wrist. You can place your hand on a table for stability
•Wrist flexors stretch
It is a kind of stretch that targets the muscles on the front of your forearm. It can be performed by holding out your arm straight out with the palm facing down then using your other hand to gently pull the other hand back. If there is a pain or discomfort, it is a sign to golfer's Elbow
•Forearm Supination & Pronation
These are 2 essential movements that involves rotating the forearm. In supination, it is the rotating of the forearm for the palm faced downwards while pronation is the movement of the forearm for the palm can be rotated upwards. There was no pain, so this again rules our golfer's Elbow
To carry out this exercise, hold a light weight with your hand Stretched out. Slowly rotate arm so your palm faced upward and downward
Share your review after performing these exercises either on yourself, a healthy individual or a patient.
I performed the wrist isometric exercise, wrist flexors stretch and forearm supination and pronation on myself.
During the course of the exercise, I didn't feel any pain on my elbow, wrist nọr forearm. There was no discomfort as well.
In my history taken, I charted I had once had a golfer's Elbow due to a fall when I was younger, but visited the hospital and my twisted elbow was fixed
From a physical examination through observation and papitation, there is not bruise, redness, swelling nọr inflammation on any past of my elbow or wrist.
So, the absence of any pain or discomfort during these exercises proves that I do not have golfer's elbow.
I will invite @josepha @ninapenda @ngoenyi to join this contest
Designed by canvas
A Golfer's Elbow is a medical condition that affects the muscles and tendons in the forearm, near the elbow joint. It is medically called epicondylitis.
Epicondylitis is simply the inflammation of the tendon and muscles in the elbow causing pain and tenderness.
This pain could be severe, moderate or mild
This condition is common among sportsman that uses their arms frequently. Examples like golf players, table and long tennis players, badminton players and even basket ballers. Even some manner job workers are at risk because they lift heavy objects, use their arms often which might trigger this condition
Causes
Golfer's Elbow is called by
•The repeated use of the elbow during an exercise, sport or during daily activities
•Accident or injury that affects the elbow hereby causing inflammation
•Placing the elbow wrongly during sleeping or weightlifting or general body posture
•Age can also be another cause. It is more common in older people than in younger people
•A history of Golfer's Elbow can trigger the occurance of another if it wasn't properly healed
Symptoms of Golfer's Elbow
The main symptoms of Golfer's Elbow include
•Severe or mild pain and tenderness inside the elbow
•Weakness of the forearm or wrist due to excessive use of the arm
•Stiffness of the elbow or forearm
•Numbness or insensitivity of the fingers
•Red patches on the elbow can be a symptom of a tear or inflammation of the tendon or muscles of the elbow
•Difficulty in gripping
####Types of Golfer's Elbow
•Mild Golfer's Elbow
Mild Golfer's Elbow is one which the pain is mild especially when gripping or twisting, but this pain does not significantly affect one's daily activity. In this type, an ice compression can stop the pain
•Moderate Golfer's Elbow
In this type, there is moderate pain on the inside of the elbow which is noticed at the forearm or wrist. The symptoms here are stiffness of the elbow, weakness of the wrist and forearm. Daily activities like lifting, gripping can be discomforting
•Severe Golfer's Elbow
The pain here is constant and worsened by movement. It is characterised by numbness and tingling in the fingers, weakness in the wrist and forearm and also difficulty in moving elbow and wrist. Daily activities are greatly hindered. Surgery may be needed in this case to repair damaged muscles followed by physiotherapy
Stages of Golfer's Elbow
• Acute Stage
This normally is between from the 1st to 7th day.
It begins with the sudden onset of pain inside the elbow especially when gripping or twisting.
•Sub-acute stage
This stage is often less than one month after the sudden onset of the pain
•Chronic Stage
This stage last beyond one month. It is characterised by severe and persistent pain, limited mobility, the tendon and muscles of the elbow might begin to degenerate leading to chronic pain
To diagnose Golfer's Elbow, it involves the combination of clinical assessment, physical examination and diagnostic test
•Clinical Assessment
In here, history taken of the patient will be taken. Ask questions about the symptoms, onset, duration and severity of the case
Know if the patient has suffered from the condition in the past or if there has been any injury, trauma or accident at that area(forearm, elbow and wrist)
•Physical Examination
-Inspection: Inspection is done with the eyes, look and observe the elbow, wrist and forearm for any unusual sign or deformity, inflammation, or swelling.
-Palpation: It is done with the use of the hand. Press on the epicondyle, that is the bony pump on the side of the elbow to check for tenderness
-Range of motion: Check out the flexion, extension, pronation and supination of the elbow and forearm
-Muscle Strength: Access grip strength and forearm muscle strength
•Diagnostic Test
-X ray: An x ray should be performed to rule out fractures, osteoarthritis or any other bony abnormalities
-Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI): This is to check out for arthritis, tissue or tendon rupture, and muscle damage
EMG & NCS is also performed to assess the nerve damage and muscle strength.
•Through Special Tests
In physiotherapy, special tests are conducted to confirm the diagnosis of Golfer's Elbow
Medial Epicondyle Test:
In the medial epicondyle test, the patient sits it stand with his/her hand extended forward and the elbow straight at an Angle 90°. The examiner facing opposite the patient, applies a gentle force on the medial epicondyle. If the patient feels any pain or discomfort, then there is Golfer's Elbow.
Cozen's Test
In cozen's test, the patient sits down with arms stretched at angle 90°.The examiner assesses the pain on the outside of the elbow (lateral epicondyle). If the wrist extension is difficult or painful, then it can be a sign of Golfer's Elbow
Valgus Stress Test
In this test, the patient sits with his elbow bended. The therapist tries to push the elbow forward to a 90° position. If the patient feels pain or discomfort in this process, it is a sign of Golfer's Elbow
•Wrist Isometric Exercise
This is a type of exercise where you contract your wrist muscles without moving your the joint of wrist.
Your arms are held out with the palm faced down. Rotate your wrist inward and outward without actually moving your wrist. You can place your hand on a table for stability
•Wrist flexors stretch
It is a kind of stretch that targets the muscles on the front of your forearm. It can be performed by holding out your arm straight out with the palm facing down then using your other hand to gently pull the other hand back. If there is a pain or discomfort, it is a sign to golfer's Elbow
•Forearm Supination & Pronation
These are 2 essential movements that involves rotating the forearm. In supination, it is the rotating of the forearm for the palm faced downwards while pronation is the movement of the forearm for the palm can be rotated upwards. There was no pain, so this again rules our golfer's Elbow
To carry out this exercise, hold a light weight with your hand Stretched out. Slowly rotate arm so your palm faced upward and downward
Share your review after performing these exercises either on yourself, a healthy individual or a patient.
I performed the wrist isometric exercise, wrist flexors stretch and forearm supination and pronation on myself.
During the course of the exercise, I didn't feel any pain on my elbow, wrist nọr forearm. There was no discomfort as well.
In my history taken, I charted I had once had a golfer's Elbow due to a fall when I was younger, but visited the hospital and my twisted elbow was fixed
From a physical examination through observation and papitation, there is not bruise, redness, swelling nọr inflammation on any past of my elbow or wrist.
So, the absence of any pain or discomfort during these exercises proves that I do not have golfer's elbow.
I will invite @josepha @ninapenda @ngoenyi to join this contest