Dr. David Altchek is an attending surgeon at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) Sports Medicine Institute in New York City and HSS West Palm Beach, Florida.
Golfer’s elbow can be an aggravating condition and can affect your daily life. The persistent pain and stiffness can interfere with exercising and other tasks that require lots of movement. This injury appears mostly in athletes and people who need their arms used regularly. If you suffer from a golfer’s elbow and are looking for UES Top Elbow Injury Specialist, contact Dr. David Altchek and schedule your appointment!
Golfer’s elbow, or medial epicondylitis, is a painful tendonitis that causes inflammation where your forearm attaches to the bones inside your elbow. This condition is sometimes associated with tennis elbow, or lateral epicondylitis, an inflammation of the outside of the elbow joint, though they are different types of tendonitis. Golfers who suffer from medial epicondylitis often feel weakness in their dominant hand. The weaker and stiffer it becomes if unable to find a proper UES top elbow injury specialist. Though the condition is called golfer’s elbow, baseball, football, golf, tennis, or bowling players can also suffer from golfer’s elbow.
Being obese, smoking, and spending more than two hours doing repetitive actions with your arm may increase your risk of having a golfer’s elbow.
Rest is the first approach to take. Discontinue any activity that you think may be causing your golfer’s elbow pain will stop further damage to your forearm. You can also take painkillers such as ibuprofen to relieve pain and inflammation temporarily. Most people recover from a golfer’s elbow without surgery after resting their arm for about six weeks. However, If your pain doesn’t stop or gets worse, seek professional help immediately. Prolonged, persistent golfer’s elbow pain might require additional treatment: Corticosteroid injections, prolotherapy – the injection of a natural irritant into your arm to jump-start your body’s healing process, and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection.
Addressing this condition early can help you relieve the pain and return to your healthy self as quickly as possible. Dr. David Altchek is named UES Top Elbow Injury Specialist with years of experience and dedication to providing the most unique treatment to you. Contact us to schedule an appointment today!