Golfer’s Elbow
Guided Injections.
Injections for Golfer’s Elbow
Golfer’s elbow, also known as medial epicondylalgia, is a condition in which the common attachment of the flexor tendons of the forearm becomes irritated from overuse/repetitive movements. This results in pain and tenderness around the inside of the elbow.
This condition affects only 0.4% of the population and is more commonly seen in men aged 40-60 (Grzelak, 2024).
What are the common symptoms of this?
Specific wrist and hand movements aggravate pain around the medial epicondyle of the elbow. You may notice difficulty making a fist, swinging a golf club or tennis racket, throwing sports, heavy lifting, and repetitive wrist flexion or pronation. This condition can also commonly result in weakness of the hands and wrists (Dzwonnik et al., 2024).
How is this diagnosed?
To assess your condition, your physiotherapist will ask about your symptoms and conduct a physical examination, looking for the following:
- Range of movement quality and strength of the elbow and adjacent joints
- Any signs of injury or inflammation
- Pain with movements such as wrist flexion, pronation, and gripping
- Pain with palpation, stretch, and resistance of the common flexor tendon origin
Your physiotherapist may also recommend further investigation, such as an ultrasound or an MRI, to assess changes in the tendon, including thickening, disorganisation of collagen fibres, and increased vascularity.
Treatment options
Guided Corticosteroid Injections
For persistent pain, corticosteroid injections may be recommended to reduce inflammation and provide short-term relief.
Ultrasound-Guided Dry Needling
A specialist technique called ultrasound-guided dry needling is used to address persistent tendon problems that have not improved with conservative treatment.
Your Clinician
BSc Physiotherapy MSCP (Hons)
PGCert Independent Medical Prescriber
PGCert Soft Tissue and Joint Injection Therapist
PGCert Diagnostic Ultrasound
Grzelak, A. (2024). Medial Epicondylitis: A Systematic Review on Causes, Symptoms and Treatment. Quality in Sport, 36, 56572-56572.
Dzwonnik, K., Zelik, U., Florczak, W., Śnieżna, J., Dziewic, J., Domino, W., … & Adamczyk, S. (2025). Diagnosis and Treatment of Golfer’s Elbow: A Review of Therapeutic Approaches. Quality in Sport, 37, 57096-57096.