Char Smith I agree - way more golfers get tennis elbow than golfers elbow, could you address it as well? .......................................................................................

john friedman Why don't you talk about tennis elbow it is way more prevelant in golfers than golfers elbow. .......................................................................................

Hristos K. Giannos, D.C., M.S.( Dr. Hristos “Chris” Giannos) Nice general information video. Wanted to comment on the previous post about icing as well as another treatment method for "Golfer's Elbow" or Medial Epicondylitis. First of all if you are not able to feel cold easily- YOU SHOULD BE CAUTIOUS OF ICING, HAVE MEDICAL SUPERVISION, OR DON'T ICE AT ALL! When icing you want to only ice the area for up to 15 minutes at a time with 45 minutes to an hour in between depending on if it's acute or not, so that there is no influx of blood in the area which is counter intuitive because you want to stop the inflammation in its tracks (also called the Hunting Response, by which blood tries to fill an area that is too cold so that cells don't die and frostbite doesn’t ensue). A piece of cloth or thin towel could be placed on the skin before icing to prevent possible ill effects. Another very effective method is ice massage or ice water submersion (also great for delayed onset muscle soreness). This is very effective because the cold gets a little deeper within the tissues and the constriction of blood vessels also mimics a pumping effect, which pumps inflammatory chemicals (prostaglandins, etc.) out of the area. You need to follow a mnemonic when using ice massage or ice water submersion so that you do not one, activate the Hunting Response and two, ultimately damage skin cells and get frostbite (highly unlikely if done right). The mnemonic is CBAN and I will give you more on that, after this. .......................................................................................

Hristos K. Giannos, D.C., M.S.(Dr. Hristos “Chris” Giannos) When you use ice massage you fill a paper Dixie cup with water and freeze it. Then you tear the top half portion of it and use the bottom half portion to hold with your hand so it doesn’t get cold while you massage. You make slow circles around the area making sure you hit everything. FOLLOW CBAN AND KEEP ICE MASSAGING: You are first going to feel COLD, then BURNING, then ACHINESS, and at last NUMBNESS. When you feel NUMBNESS which could occur after 2 to 10 minutes depending on each person, THEN STOP! You could repeat this later on in the day after a couple of hours and of course depending on your condition. For ice water submersion you follow CBAN as well. Fill a container that you think will be able to fit the extremity (i.e. elbow, hand, leg) with some ice and water. Dunk the extremity and follow CBAN. This method will be harder to handle because of the shear cold; however, the results are better, both in helping to stop inflammation and in deterring pain. Again, you can utilize this method a couple of times a day with at least two hours in between, and depending on your ailment. .......................................................................................

Hristos K. Giannos, D.C., M.S.( Dr. Hristos “Chris” Giannos) Lastly, I want to talk about a soft tissue treatment that is very effective. Simple in principle, yet very successful when you couple it with ultrasound, stretching, icing, and rehabilitative exercises to strengthen the muscles around the elbow. It’s called Graston Technique Instrument -assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization or GTISM (www.grastontechnique.com). Six stainless steel tools together with the other aforementioned modalities make for a state-of-the-art treatment that was originally created by athletes and has been incorporated by many professional disciplines in their respective practices. After ultrasound and sometimes moist heat as per injury, the surface of the skin is prepped with an emollient and (or) a natural anti-inflammatory cream so the tools are able to glide freely on the skin and the treatment is seamless. The doctor uses different strokes and techniques depending on the area he/she is treating to effectively detect and treat adhesions, scars, and general fibrosis. When muscle fibers and fascia are restricted by adhesions, the muscle unit itself moves less freely; therefore, creating altered biomechanics, and eventually an overuse injury is created such as Golfer’s Elbow. Studies done on Graston through the Ball University Hospital and Ball University showed better and quicker outcomes for chronic and acute conditions such as tendinitis, tenosynovitis, sprains, and strains to name a few. Disclaimer: This information was not intended to replace the services of your physician, nor does it constitute a doctor-patient relationship. Information on this web site is provided for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for your own physician’s medical advice. You should not use the information on this web site for diagnosing or treating a medical or health condition. You should consult a physician in all matters relating to your health, and particularly in respect to any symptoms that may require diagnosis or medical attention. Any act .......................................................................................

mjb thanks great video- helpful .......................................................................................

GolfersMD Community Manager Terry, here are a few ideas for home treatment. Swing mechanics should be evaluated by an instructor. Rest and limit the activity that causes the pain. Braces or compression pads can be very helpful for lessening the pain and allowing you to continue to play golf (we like the Band-It forearm Band). Equipment modifications you can try are using graphite shafts and vibration dampening grips (we like the company e21 which has a "shock block" technology that absorbs the shock before it gets to your elbow) e21 publicizes that Vijay uses their clubs for this reason because he hits so many balls. Other considerations are rest the injured area and limit the activity that causes the pain. Icing to reduce pain and inflammation is very helpful after activities . When the pain is gone, start gentle stretching and strengthening of the wrist and elbow. The best exercises we've seen can be found at http://www.med.umich.edu/1libr/sma/sma_golferse_rex.htm . The video you watched was our first step of providing information on golfers elbow and we'll continue to develop treatment related content for golfers elbow as you suggested. .......................................................................................

Terry Fisher The video referred to "tips" I did not hear any tips on treatment at home. Was disappointed. I know where the pain is, but need home treatment ideas. .......................................................................................

Cindy The video seems to be fixed now. Good information. .......................................................................................

It quits after 3 sentences .......................................................................................

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