Natural Treatments for Golfer's Elbow

Golfer's elbow, clinically known as medial epicondylitis, is a type of tendinitis with pain on the inside bump of your elbow, in line with your ulna bone (the one on the pinky side of your forearm.)

This condition occurs from the repetitive motions of bending your wrist (flexing) and turning your forearm (pronating.) Although nicknamed “golfer's elbow,” this condition can occur from doing any activity that combines the above two motions---tennis, bowling, pitching baseball or even using a screwdriver.

It is important to know that not everyone who does a repetitive activity that includes wrist flexion and forearm pronation gets golfer's elbow. Some people are more prone to inflammatory responses than others, and modern science does not have all the answers as to why this happens. What is essential to remember is that there are some natural treatments that work well for many people---you may be one of them.

One effective tendinitis remedy is receiving repeated acupuncture treatments. Acupuncture has been effectively implemented by Asian physicians for centuries to treat a wide variety of diseases and imbalances, tendonitis being just one of thousands. The needles used in acupuncture are very small and thin and cause about as much pain as a thin rubber band snapping against the skin…maybe even less. The Japanese needles commonly used in American clinics are even thinner than the Chinese needles and make the treatments even easier. You can expect to pay somewhere between $50 and $80 per treatment in the Sacramento area, although the first session often involves a lengthy diagnosis and intake, and is therefore more expensive.

Another approach, often used with acupuncture, is taking natural anti-inflammatory herbs. You can easily find anti-inflammatory herbal capsules at your local natural foods market. These will often contain the following ingredients: ginger root, white willow bark (from which aspirin is derived), devil's claw (which is widely prescribed in Europe for inflammatory conditions), bromelain (derived from pineapple), turmeric (not a herb but a spice; much research has been done showing anti-inflammatory properties in this spice common to East Indian cuisine), Vitamin C, and magnesium.

The pre-made herbal capsules can be quite expensive. One way to save money and often get better results is to buy the herbs in bulk and eat foods high in Vitamin C and magnesium. You can boil the bulk herbs to make a tea, using ginger root, white willow bark, devils' claw and turmeric. Just these ingredients in the tea might be impalatable for the average American, so what I recommend is to mix them with other elements.

Boil the ginger root, white willow bark and devil's claw for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool and steep for 10 minutes, creating a tea. In a teapot, or other suitable container, add the turmeric, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg and allspice. Pour tea water into container and stir well. Stir in vanilla extract. If sweetener is needed, add honey, agave syrup or stevia powder (all available at natural foods market.) Since refined cane sugar can contribute to inflammation it is recommended that you stay away from it--- at least through the acute phase of tendinitis.

The only ingredient in this tea not on our original list of anti-inflammatory herbs is the bromelain. There is some concern that the temperature of the tea may reduce the effectiveness of the bromelain, so it is recommended that you take them as a separate supplement. This herbal tea, coupled with acupuncture treatments, may be enough to naturally reduce inflammation for you. If not, you can add the bromelain tablets 30-40 minutes before eating. Keep in mind that this product is derived from pineapples; people allergic to pineapple should not take bromelain.

Some people think that including herbs and natural therapies in their life requires extraordinary preparation or vast knowledge, neither of which is true. Not all treatments work equally well for all people, and this is true whether you are applying natural or chemical (pharmaceutical) cures. It is worth experimenting with natural therapies as they often have far less side-effects, if any at all, and many have been effectively in use for centuries.

Istvan is the wellness director for Arden Hills Wellness Resort in Sacramento, CA. He is the author of “The Alkalizing Diet,” and “The Yoga of Cayce,” and has been a teacher and writer in the holistic health field for fourteen years.

Try this recipe:

1 ginger root, peeled and cubed to about the size of sugar cubes

2 tablespoons of vanilla extract

1 tablespoon of crushed white willow bark (you can break up the bark in a standard mortar and pestle)

1 tablespoon of devil's claw

1/2 teaspoon of turmeric

1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon powder

1/8 teaspoon of cardamom powder

2 dashes of nutmeg

1 dash of allspice