With the season in full swing, many may be experiencing the dreaded “Golfer’s Elbow”. That nagging pain on the inside of your elbow can start to intrude when doing really any activities that eliminateur arm.
Muscle scraping is an effective way to get rid of that pain and get back on the course quickly. This article will guide you through the best scraping technique and other supplementary exercises to relieve pain from golfer’s elbow.
Causes of Golfer’s Elbow
Although nicknamed after the sport of golf, medial epicondylopathy can be linked to many different activities or occupations. Repetitive, forceful wrist flexion (bending your palm towards your forearm), pronation, and valgus forces at the elbow are the most common causes. The muscles that cause these forces originate from a common flexor tendon on the medial side of the elbow (the side closest to the body). Overuse can cause irritation and degeneration of the tendon and muscle tissues. When soft tissue breaks down, the body responds by forming scar tissue which causes pain and dysfunction1.
How will scraping help?
The muscle scraping technique has been shown to effectively remove scar tissue. The force applied using the instrument breaks up scar tissue and releases adhesions within the muscles and tendons2. This helps release tension and restore proper function of the muscles.
Muscle scraping also breaks up old blood vessels under the skin’s surface. This triggers the formation of new, more efficient vascular pathways, bringing fresh blood flow to the area. New blood flow provides an ideal healing environment for injuries, including golfer’s elbow.
How to scrape for golfer’s elbow
Start by scraping the medial side of your elbow and then the front of the forearm. The common flexor tendon is located on the medial side of the elbow while the muscle bellies of the wrist flexors are in the forearm. Scraping these area will break up adhesions and promote healing in the soft tissue structures.
When scraping for golfer’s elbow, straighten your elbow and bend your wrist backwards. This stretches the muscles and tendons involved in the injury and increases the efficiency and effectiveness of scraping.
Scrape the medial elbow.
Scrape the front of the forearm.
Stretching/Mobility Exercises
Maintaining the proper movement of muscles and proper range of motion at a joint is important in preventing the formation of excess scar tissue.
Wrist Flexor Stretch: Straighten your elbow and use your opposite hand to pull your wrist into end-range extension. Hold for about 5 seconds and relax, bending your wrist and your elbow. Repeat this motion 6-8 times on each side
Forearm Pronator/Supinator Mobility: Hold a dowel at the end to add more instability. Let the weight of the implement pull your forearm into end-range supination, holding for 1-3 seconds. Then pronate your forearm and let the weight pull you into end range, holding for 1-3 seconds. Perform this exercise for 30-45 seconds on each side.
Wrist Flexor Stretch.
Forearm Pronator/Supinator Mobility.
Strength Exercises
Forearm Pronator/Supinator Mobility: This time, hold a dumbbell on one end. Rotate your forearm back and forth, making sure that you are controlling the weight very slowly. Repeat 6-8 times for 2-4 sets on each arm.
Eccentric Wrist Flexion: Have your forearm supported with only your hand hanging off and your palm facing up. Curl your wrist to pull the weight up. Slowly lower the weight back down, using the strength of your wrist and forearms to control the weight. Perform 2-4 sets of 8-12 on each wrist.
Forearm Pronator/Supinator Strength.
Eccentric Wrist Flexion.
Conclusion
The golf season can be short for some, so we don’t want to let golfer’s elbow keep you off the course. Scraping, stretching, and strengthening each play an essential role in preventing and rehabilitating soft tissue injuries.
We recommend the Echo Muscle Scraper for targeting the upper body. Grab your own and start feeling relief ASAP!
References
- Medial Epicondyle Tendinopathy. (2020, June 4). Physiopedia, . Retrieved 17:05, August 23, 2022 from https://www.physio-pedia.com/index.php?title=Medial_Epicondyle_Tendinopathy&oldid=240303.
- Kim, J., Sung, D. J., & Lee, J. (2017). Therapeutic effectiveness of instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization for soft tissue injury: mechanisms and practical application. Journal of exercise rehabilitation, 13(1), 12–22. https://doi.org/10.12965/jer.1732824.412
Ariana Purificati Fune
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