Foothills Sports Medicine Physical Therapy is a Scottsdale physical therapy clinic that is dedicated to helping you achieve your rehab goals and live a healthy, pain-free life. Our staff is highly trained in hands-on techniques and they create individualized plans for each patient. To schedule a free consultation with one of our PTs, you can go online here to make an appointment today. For more information about Scottsdale physical therapy and our services, follow our blog!
Doug, a Doctor of Physical Therapy, is active in many competitive sports, including rugby, adventure races, mountain biking, triathlons, and golf. As an experienced sports player, he knows what it takes to fully rehabilitate athletes from injuries. He is here today to explain what causes elbow pain, known as Golfer’s or Tennis Elbow, and how to fix it.
At Foothills Sports Medicine in North Scottsdale, we treat many patients who suffer from elbow pain. Usually the pain is either on the inside (medial) or outside (lateral) of the elbow. Medial elbow pain is common in golfers, and has come to be known as Golfer’s Elbow. Similarly, lateral elbow pain common in tennis players is known as Tennis Elbow. However, while these conditions are common among these athletes, they can happen to anyone.
It is tempting to think that because you feel pain in your elbow, the cause of the pain is the elbow itself. However, this is not always true! The primary cause might lie somewhere else, and this is where your physical therapist plays a role.
Physical therapists are aware of the many contributing factors to elbow pain that aren’t directly related to the elbow, such as poor posture, for instance. If you have weakness or insufficient muscle length in the muscles around the shoulder blade, the way you use your shoulder is affected. This results in abnormal stress on the tissues of your shoulder and elbow. You may only feel pain in your elbow, but your physical therapist will be able to identify the cause of the pain originating in the position of the shoulder blade. Compensations that affect the elbow can also be caused by the neck and hip. If the muscles of your neck or hip are weak or tight, this can cause more stress on the elbow.
How do you know if any of these compensations are causing your elbow pain? That’s where we come in. We are experts in movement, and can analyze the way you move, test muscle strength, length, and control, to help you understand what is causing and contributing to your elbow pain. So whether it’s pain in your elbow or anywhere else, drop by Foothills so we can help you understand what’s really going on.
The Hidden Cause of Your Elbow Pain
