Welcome back to the Rehab Science Podcast. In this episode, we delve into two prevalent elbow conditions—

tennis elbow

and

golfer's elbow.

These conditions are among the most frequent causes of elbow pain encountered in physical therapy clinics.

Though both involve elbow pain, tennis elbow and golfer's elbow affect different muscle groups.

Tennis elbow

is linked to wrist and finger extensors located on the forearm's outer, or lateral, side.

Golfer's elbow

Both conditions can arise from repetitive strain rather than direct trauma. Common activities leading to these issues include typing, repetitive wrist movement, and sometimes outdoor tasks such as gardening. Despite their sporty names, the conditions are not exclusive to athletes and can affect anyone engaged in repetitive hand and wrist activities.

Historically referred to as tendonitis, research has refined our understanding of these conditions to what is now called tendinopathy, which doesn't involve significant inflammation.

Rehabilitation predominantly involves targeted exercise. Each condition necessitates specific exercises—flexion for golfer's elbow and extension for tennis elbow. Detailed programs are often set out, emphasizing gradual, consistent loading of the tendons to foster healing.

Additionally, nerve mobilizations can be beneficial. Such approaches include radial nerve mobilizations for tennis elbow and median nerve mobilizations for golfer's elbow. These procedures sometimes yield improvement by relieving pressure on involved nerves.

For those who are considering partaking in activities that might exacerbate these conditions, prehab or preemptive rehab might be beneficial. Beginning a structured strengthening regime prior to engaging or significantly increasing activity load can be beneficial.

Coaching can also significantly help, particularly in technique-focused sports like tennis and golf.

• Rest must be balanced with key exercises targeting the proprioceptive elements of your elbow's muscle control.
• Implement resistance into upper arm routines to shore up both extensors and flexors.
• Stretches and light compound practices bolster surrounding muscle architecture.

Anyone looking for specific exercises can find them in therapy PDFs available online or in relevant elbow chapters of educational medical texts. Such resources include frameworks for tackling both tennis and golfer’s elbow through strategic exercise progression over time.

Don't panic if pain persists. Time, tailored therapy, and specific adaptations to physical activity often usher relief.

In summary, when dealing with tennis or golfer’s elbow—or both—it’s pivotal to pinpoint specific exercises that will stirringly and gradually induce remissive symptoms. Engaging specialists for professional technique guidance can ward off these conditions before escalating into sustainably painful issues.