Elbow injuries sustained during golf, tennis, baseball and other popular sports can keep you on the bench for a season or force you to change sports altogether. Damage to the complex structure of tendons, ligaments, bones and muscles of the elbow can be painfully debilitating. However, careful rehabilitation and change in your throwing or swinging technique often improve your odds at getting back into the sport you love.
Elbow
Your elbow joint involves the upper arm bone, or humerus, and two forearm bones, the ulna and radius. Ligaments, tendons and muscles in the upper arm and forearm hold this hinge and pivot joint in place. The olecranon bursa, a small pad-like structure, sits between the loose skin and bone at the tip of the elbow and allows your skin to move freely over the bone. The bony bumps on either side of your elbow, called epicondyles, lie at the bottom of the humerus bone.
Types of Injuries
Health-care professionals typically categorize elbow sports injuries as either acute or overuse injuries. Acute injuries include sprains, fractures and dislocations sustained during an activity or sport. Overuse injuries typically take time to develop and generally result from micro-trauma to the tendons, muscles and bones in your elbow caused by repetitive motion. For instance, tennis, rowing or any other sport that requires repetitive clenching of the hands can cause tennis elbow, an overuse injury related to inflammation of the tendons attaching forearm muscle to the outer epicondyle. The American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine, or AOSSM, reports that overuse injuries are generally much more common than acute injuries for most sports.
Treatment
Obviously, acute elbow injuries like fractures and dislocations require immediate medical attention. Depending on the injury, treatment may include surgery, casting, bracing and physical therapy to rehabilitate the joint. Overuse injuries generally respond well to rest, which might involve several weeks away from activities that can aggravate the injury. Anti-inflammatory medications such as aspirin or ibuprofen can help, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, or AAOS. It also notes that physical therapy that includes exercises designed to strengthen the forearm muscles might successfully treat and possibly prevent future episodes of tennis or golfer's elbow. For persistent, debilitating injuries, physicians may recommend injections into the elbow joint or arthroscopic surgery.
Considerations
Training errors and inappropriate form during a sport often cause overuse injuries. Therefore, the AOSSM suggests you see a sports medicine specialist for specific evaluation of your form, equipment and musculature if your elbow symptoms persist. These professionals can make recommendations for changes in your golf or tennis swing when necessary, help you choose the right racket or club and create a training program designed to help you get the most from your sport while preventing injury.
Expert Insight
You might assume that elbow injuries more commonly affect older adults or professional athletes. However, even young baseball players are susceptible to a throwing injury orthopedists sometimes call "Little League Elbow." This condition typically causes pain on the inside of the elbow and may reduce range of motion or even cause the joint to lock. To prevent little league throwing injuries, the AAOS recommends children pitch no more than 200 times in one week. This number includes pitches made during practice. It also advises that children pitch only three to four innings during each game.
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