When you work in construction, there are endless ways you could experience chronic pain on the job. Lifting incorrectly could hurt your lower back, operating tools could give you carpal tunnel, and awkward movements above your head could lead to rotator cuff tendonitis. One of the most common ailments to watch out for and one that isn’t talked about as often is golfer’s elbow. This painful condition can put you out of work for weeks and sometimes even months if it gets bad enough.

If you’re experiencing pain in your elbow and want to reduce your pain, our guide breaks down what golfer’s elbow is, the common causes, and what exercises help you heal so you can get back to work. 

What is a golfer’s elbow?

Known medically as medial epicondylitis, golfer’s elbow is a type of tendonitis that causes inflammation and pain where the elbow and forearm connect. It’s caused generally by the repeated use of your arm and wrist when you grasp, twist, or bend things repeatedly. These actions cause small tears in your tendons, resulting in pain in your forearm and elbow, and wrist. 

Although it does occur in the sport, you don’t need to be an avid golfer to be affected by the golfer’s elbow. If you use tools repeatedly, smoke, or are obese, you could be at a higher risk. When left untreated, this workplace injury could progress into long-term medical issues, limiting the range of motion in your elbow, reducing your grip strength, and causing chronic pain. 

Common causes and risk factors

Golfer’s elbow could happen for several reasons. On the construction site, you could be at risk if you:

• Are under repeated stress. The same actions day in and out could make repeated tears in your tendons, causing you pain. 
• Use improper technique. If you’re mishandling your equipment, like relying too much on your biceps and forearms to stabilize a tool instead of using a wider stance, you could develop golfer’s elbow. 
• Grip too tightly. Repeated tight grip on your tools could put stress on your tendons, eventually causing golfer’s elbow. 
• Have weak mobility and shoulder muscles. Without the proper range of motion and adequate shoulder strength, you could overwork your tendons and experience golfer’s elbow.

To prevent golfer’s elbow from occurring, it’s important to focus on technique, warming up your muscles, and relaxing your grip when you can. One careless day on the job might not impact you, but repeated stress is where you run into long-term issues. 

Signs and symptoms of golfer’s elbow

After a long day on-site, it can be difficult to tell when you’ve had a particularly tough day versus the beginnings of a golfer’s elbow. The most important symptom to look out for is tenderness at your inner elbow. If you experience stiff and tight muscles when gripping or flexing your wrists, that’s also a common symptom. Lastly, if you notice your grip strength has weakened over time, it could mean you’re developing golfer’s elbow. 

Best exercises to help golfer’s elbow

We know you can’t simply give up the physical elements of your job. And it doesn’t mean golfer’s elbow is inevitable. Recovery is largely movement-based and focuses on three areas. 

Soft tissue and stretching techniques

Photo courtesy of https://www.shutterstock.com/

Soft tissue is the connective tissue that is not cartilage or bone. They’re muscles, fat, ligaments, tendons, blood vessels, fibrous tissues, and nerves. Soft tissue movements and stretches include: 

1. Forearm soft tissue releasing: Use a tennis, squash, or lacrosse ball against a table or wall to gently roll out your forearm muscles for 1 to 2 minutes. 
2. Wrist extensor stretching: With your palm down, extend your arm and gently pull your fingers downward with your opposite hand until you feel stretching in the top of your forearm. Hold this stretch for 30 seconds before repeating on the other side. 
3. Wrist flexor stretch: Extend an arm in front of you with your palm facing up. Then, use your opposite hand to pull the fingers gently downward and back. You should feel a stretch in your forearm. Hold for 30 seconds and repeat on the other side. 

Resistance training exercises for golfer’s elbow

Moving to resistance training, we have:

1. Eccentric pronation: Holding a light bar or hammer, start with the palm up and slowly rotate until your palm faces down. Control your motion and slowly return to the palm-up position. Complete 2 to 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps with both hands. 
2. Eccentric wrist flexion: Again, with your palm up, use your opposite hand to raise a 1 to 3-pound dumbbell, and slowly lower it within 3 to 5 seconds. Complete 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps before switching sides.

Forearm and grip retraining exercises

Getting your grip strength back up to snuff might be a high priority for you. Here’s how to begin working on it. 

1. Wrist rolling: Use a dowel with a small weight attached. Roll your wrists up and down slowly, building back endurance over time. 
2. Putty grip work: With that same dowel, focus on controlled, slow releasing and gripping to retrain and build your forearm stabilizers without overloading your tendons. Repeat on both sides.

When to seek professional treatment

Photo courtesy of https://www.shutterstock.com/

If you start implementing recovery and preventative exercises into your routine, but the symptoms persist beyond 8 to 12 weeks, it’s time to visit your athletic or physical therapist. They may assess your diagnosis through dry needling, shockwave therapy, or ultrasound. In severe or chronic cases, more in-depth imaging may be required. 

Tips for long-term prevention

Treating your golfer’s elbow isn’t a one-and-done process. Much like other musculoskeletal disorders, it takes persistence and patience to treat it properly.  To prevent the pain from creeping back, you’ll have to implement some regular long-term prevention measures. 

• Warm up before you start your shift: Wrist flexor and extensor stretches, plus forearm releasing, will feel good and prevent pain. 
• Increase your workload gradually: If you’ve started treatment, don’t just jump back into your regular gruelling duties. Work up to it to stay on the road to recovery.
• Actively think about loosening your grip: If you tend to grip too hard, especially when using vibrating tools, consider loosening your hold to facilitate faster healing. 
• Keep up with your exercises: Recovery doesn’t happen in a day. Continue to work out your grip strength and wrist flexion. 
• Take breaks when you need them: If you start to feel pain on the job, take a break. It’s better to take short breaks when you need them than not to be able to work at all. 

It’s important that if a golfer’s elbow is impacting your work, you speak with your manager or supervisor. This way, they can help facilitate a gradual increase in your workload and clear any additional breaks you need on the job. Your team wants to see you fit and healthy at work, and that means injury prevention comes first. 

Key takeaways

With progressive loading, preventative stretching, and smart rehabilitation, golfer’s elbow can be treated for the long term. Most people can recover completely and return to work without the pain. 

If you’re experiencing a weakened grip or stiffness and pain in your inner elbow and forearm, don’t ignore it. Treating your golfer’s elbow sooner means you can get back to the site (or the course) later. 

Don’t forget to follow Under the Hard Hat on LinkedIn and subscribe to the newsletter to stay informed about AEC safety and wellness.