What is Medial Epicondylitis?
Medial epicondylitis is soreness or pain on the inside of the lower arm near the elbow. It is commonly called golfer’s elbow.
Causes:
The part of the muscle that attaches to a bone is called a tendon. Some of the muscles in your forearm attach to the bone on the inside of your elbow.
When you use these muscles over and over again, small tears develop in the tendons. Over time, this leads to irritation and pain where the tendon is attached to the bone.
The injury can occur from using poor form or overdoing certain sports, such as:
- Golf
- Baseball and other throwing sports, such as football and javelin
- Racquet sports, such as tennis
- Weight training
Repeated twisting of the wrist (such as when using a screwdriver) can lead to golfer’s elbow. People in certain jobs may be more likely to develop it, such as:
- Painters
- Plumbers
- Construction workers
- Cooks
- Assembly-line workers
- Computer users
- Butchers
Symptoms
Symptoms of golfer’s elbow include:
- Elbow pain that runs along the inside of your forearm to your wrist, on the same side as your pinky finger
- Pain when flexing your wrist, palm down
- Pain when shaking hands
- Weak grasp
- Numbness and tingling from your elbow up and into your pinky and ring fingers
Pain may occur gradually or suddenly. It gets worse when you grasp things or flex your wrist.
