Golfer's Elbow Symptoms & Diagnosis

Symptoms

Symptoms include:

• Pain or tenderness on the inner side of the elbow
• Pain increases when:
  • Shaking hands
  • Turning doorknobs
  • Picking up objects with your palm down
  • Hitting a forehand in tennis
  • Swinging a golf club
  • Applying pressure to this area
• Possibly pain extending down the forearm
• Tightness of forearm muscles
• Stiffness or trouble moving the elbow or hand

Diagnosis

The doctor will ask about your symptoms and medical history, your recent physical activity, and how the injury occurred. You may not remember the event that caused the injury because golfer's elbow pain develops over time. The doctor will examine your elbow for:

• Pain on the inner side of the elbow when:
  • Doing certain arm motions
  • Pressing on the medial epicondyle
• Stiffness of elbow and pain with wrist movement

X-rays are not usually necessary, but the doctor may decide to x-ray your elbow to:

• Make sure the bones of the elbow are normal
• Look for a calcium deposit in the injured tendons

Magnetic resonance imagery (MRI) is occasionally used for diagnosis, but there is only limited evidence supporting this use.