Golf & Tennis Elbow

Sports injuries such as Tennis elbow and Golfer’s elbow are usually due to either injury or overuse of muscles or joints.

Tennis elbow is characterized by pain on the outside of the elbow and forearm, starting at a region called the lateral epicondyle.  This pain can radiate into the thumb side of the forearm and to the back of the wrist and fingers.  The pain is caused by inflammation or damage to the tendons that bend the wrist backward away from the palm.  This may also lead to loss of wrist and hand grip strength.

Golfer’s elbow is usually caused by overusing the muscles in the forearm that allow you to grip with your hand, rotate your arm, and flex your wrist. This pain often starts on the inside of the elbow, over a region called the medial epicondyle, and radiates into the small finger side of the forearm and wrist.  Repetitive forceful flexing, gripping, or swinging can cause small tears and inflammation in the tendons.

In most cases, these conditions do not need immediate medical attention.  They can be treated with rest, ice, over-the-counter medications, and wrist braces or elbow pads. If your pain worsens after several days of self-treatment, you are welcome to call our office for an appointment.  Dr. Siewert focuses on caring for hips and knees primarily, but his partner Dr. Anjan Kaushik is Fellowship-trained in hand, wrist, and elbow surgery and can provide specialized care.

If your pain is not improving or you have had a recent injury that results in a change in your daily function, please call our office and request an appointment with Dr. Kaushik.