Golfers of the world get to enjoy amazing sights and feelings that others may never experience. For example, only golfers know the peace that comes with staring out over a freshly mowed and well-maintained course of rolling green.
They also know about the excitement that comes with having that exceptional outing, where they stay on a roll and eventually reach a new personal best.
However, golfers also know about some unpleasant aspects and pains of the sport – namely golfer’s elbow. Here’s a bit of insight about what this condition is, how it affects you, and why a golfer’s elbow brace can be the best solution over commonly suggested compression sleeves.
The human body is built to do certain tasks in repetition. Walking, talking, even lifting with the proper form are all easy for most people, thanks to your anatomy.
However, there are some motions that you should not perform in perpetuity without some form of support. This is the case for golfers, whose motion of holding and swinging their clubs can put long-term strain on the elbow.
To truly understand the specifics of the condition and how it affects your daily life, you must first understand the anatomy of the elbow.
What may seem like a simple joint, the elbow is made up of three bones, connecting to various tendons, ligaments, and muscles. Golfer’s elbow typically involves a strain of the epicondyle.
The epicondyle is the boney bump on the end of your elbow. Golfer’s Elbow is caused when the tendons connected become inflamed. It can lead to stiffness within the joint and difficulty moving it. It can also weaken the movement of the lower arm, all the way to the wrist.
Sometimes the soreness can even turn into numbness, and it can be especially problematic when a person is doing anything that involves gripping. Turning keys in your car’s ignition, picking up a glass of water, or even shaking hands with a friend or golfing partner can turn into a painful experience.
This type of elbow pain may seem completely debilitating – and in some ways, it can be. However, while unpleasant in some cases and excruciating in others, it is not uncommon. Many people deal with this problem every year.
While it affects less than one percent of the population, that’s still a great number of people. While golfers are most commonly affected by epicondyle pain, it can happen to others as well. It can affect bowlers, baseball players, and even carpenters.
For some people, ice and sports tape are the best remedies for this condition. For others, forearm pronation/supination and wrist extensions can help. However, as far as a preventive method, a golfer’s elbow brace can be the best choice.
Like most sports, golfers can use protective equipment to keep themselves safe. With a proactive approach to guarding against injuries, it’s much easier to stay protected whenever you head onto the course.
Even though the result of prolonged golfing activity may only be a minor irritation, it’s still helpful to prevent the pain altogether and get more out of your golfing experience.
When researching the best brace for golfer’s elbow, there are those that will elect to use a different device – a compression sleeve.
One advantage of it is that it allows for extra warmth to settle over the area, effectively serving as a natural pain remedy for those who are already experiencing some soreness.
Another benefit is that it covers a large area, so you can treat injuries to any nearby tendons or muscles at the same time.
The reason why a brace is superior to a sleeve comes down to one concept – support.
A sleeve may provide the compression needed to warm up some pained areas, but it isn’t optimized for the elbow’s specific anatomy.
A brace isn’t just providing warmth – it’s contoured to give the elbow the added support it needs to counteract continued force against it. When you use a brace, you’re empowering yourself to make the motions you need to when golfing without putting your health in jeopardy.
The human body is a complex machine, and it requires the right equipment to care for. When you’re looking for a golfer’s elbow brace, choose one from a company that specializes in support and compression devices.
If long days on the golf course have your elbow or forearm feeling less than perfect at the end of the day, let Medi-Dyne help. Contact us to view our golfer's elbow brace and you’ll find a full catalog of support devices, recovery equipment, and protective products for the whole body.