Golf elbow pain for 1 year -- 3 cortisone shots, many months of rest and still in pain. Any suggestions?

Question

Golf elbow pain for 1 year -- 3 cortisone shots, many months of rest and still in pain. Any suggestions?

Answer 1

I would get a second opinion, if you haven't already.  While the diagnosis may be "right", there may be an underlying complication that prevents your elbow from healing completely. These complications can include, but are not limited to, torn ligaments, fissure in the bone, autoimmune disorder (like rheumatoid arthritis - RA - this would be a longshot, though, since more women are affected by autoimmune disorders than men), a sleep disorder, poor physical therapy - there may be something else out there that you haven't found yet, water retention, gout.. so many things can be an issue.   If you've only seen your general practitioner (GP), it might be time to see a specialist. Sometimes a GP will get to the end of what he/she knows and then give up without making a referral to a specialist.  Hopefully your GP isn't like that!

If you haven't seen an orthopedist, that's where I would head.  (I'm thinking an orthopedist is where you've been, but it's not mentioned how many different docs you've seen.)

If the pain is something your doc just expects you to endure, and you've tried every avenue to find help, then I would suggest finding a Pain Management specialist.  Often, they can provide tips and advice that many docs just aren't aware of to help you reduce the pain.

I hope you find answers soon!

Answer 2

I think that you should try a diet supplement that contains a natural form of glucosamine and condroiton  That should help. I am not a doctor. You should find them in a drug store among supplements.

Answer 3

mine does that too.  when i straighten out my arm it hurts...i did stretching exercises daily for a few months and now it doesnt hurt.  

http://www.pga2be.com

for golfers

Answer 4

Pain is a signal to your brain to stop whatever you are doing before you cause serious or permanent damage to the body part that hurts.  You obviously have some type of elbow injury.  Go to the doctor, find out what it is, get it cured, then work to strengthen the elbow to prevent it recurring in the future.  Just getting cortisone shots or taking pain medication isn't solving the problem.

Answer 5

Might want to have x-rays or something on it - might lead to surgery.

Answer 6

If you are into cortisone shots and the pain has persisted for a year, Have it looked at by a specialist, X-rayed to determine the cause of the pain. It may very well be a bone chip from a prior injury, or a growth or calcification which is causing the pain. Take it from there.