Golfer's elbow (medial epicondylitis)

What it is

Golfer's elbow is the inner-elbow cousin of tennis elbow. The tendons that bend the wrist and fingers, where they attach on the inner elbow, become painful, usually from repeated gripping. It also tends to improve with time and the right loading.

Common symptoms

• Pain and tenderness on the inner elbow
• Pain with gripping or bending the wrist
• A weaker grip
• Sometimes aching down the inner forearm

What can help

• A graded exercise program
• Load management and technique changes
• A strap or brace for some
• Simple or topical pain relief

Where an injection fits

As with tennis elbow, a corticosteroid injection may give short-term relief but carries a high chance of the problem returning, and it is not a long-term fix. We generally favour an exercise-based approach and reserve injections for selected situations.