Dolor en la parte interna del codo: causas, tratamiento y ejercicios para el codo de golfista

Key takeaways:

1. Inner elbow pain often happens when you do more than what your body is ready for, particularly from activities involving repetitive gripping or lifting.

2. Rather than avoiding activity, staying active and gradually adapting through exercise is key to continue doing activities you enjoy.

3. Targeted stretches and strengthening exercises can help reduce inner elbow pain and improve flexibility (see videos below).

Hinge Health offers virtual physical therapy and more to help you manage elbow pain. Learn more.

Si alguna vez te has golpeado el hueso de la risa o te has torcido el codo, sabes lo doloroso que es. Las molestias en esa misma zona, aunque no te hayas golpeado, tienen un nombre: epicondilitis medial, o dolor en la parte interna del codo. Es relativamente raro, afecta a menos deluno por ciento de la población, pero puede hacer que sea más difícil hacer de todo, desde practicar deportes hasta escribir en la computadora y cocinar. 

La buena noticia es que la mayoría de las veces, el dolor interno del codo responde a tratamientos simples como ejercicios de estiramiento y fortalecimiento. 

Siga leyendo para aprender sobre el dolor interno del codo, qué lo causa y cómo tratarlo, especialmente con consejos y ejercicios deHinge Health fisioterapeuta.

¿Qué es el dolor interno del codo (codo de golfista)?

El dolor interno del codo, también conocido como codo de golfista, a menudo se confunde con el codo de tenista. Pero los dos son muy diferentes. El codo tiene dos epicóndilos, que son protuberancias óseas que se pueden sentir a ambos lados de los codos. Los tendones y otros tejidos conectivos se unen a ellos.

Cuando tiene dolor en la parte interna del codo, el tendón en la parte interna del codo se irrita. Sin embargo, con el codo de tenista, es el tendón cerca de la protuberancia en la parte exterior del codo el que se agrava, explica el Dr. Aeder.

El dolor en la parte interna del codo generalmente ocurre en personas de 40 y 50 años, pero puede padecerlo a cualquier edad y afecta a hombres y mujeres por igual. Por lo general, ocurre en el brazo dominante.

Síntomas del dolor en la parte interna del codo

El dolor en la parte interna del codo a menudo se desarrolla lentamente con el tiempo. Puede ocurrir por un aumento repentino en una determinada actividad (como palear mucha nieve durante una gran tormenta invernal). A veces, el dolor en la parte interna del codo simplemente aparece: el dolor aparece un día y persiste, a menudo empeorando con ciertas actividades, como levantar más peso del que su cuerpo está listo para en ese momento. En general, los síntomas del dolor en la parte interna del codo incluyen:

• Dolor que comienza en el codo y se irradia a través del antebrazo. "En general, este es el síntoma principal", dice el Dr. Aeder.

• Dificultad para agarrar o levantar objetos.

• Punzadas agudas de dolor cuando se realiza en actividades que involucran el movimiento del codo.

• dolor durante o después de actividades que involucran la muñeca.

• Entumecimiento u hormigueo en los dedos.

• Un dolor sordo en el codo al descansar.

• Debilidad general o rigidez en el codo.

What causes inner elbow pain?

Inner elbow pain usually occurs when you do more than what your body is ready for. “It tends to be caused by any sort of activity that involves repetitive gripping,” explains Dr. Aeder. Here are some common causes of inner elbow pain:

• Certain sports. You can experience inner elbow pain from golf because it requires you to grip the clubs so tightly. But other activities can contribute to it, too. These include tennis (gripping the tennis racquet very hard), or even throwing sports such as baseball, softball, or football.

• Weight training. Certain movements during strength training can contribute to inner elbow pain — such as curling your wrists during a biceps exercise — if your body isn't used to these motions. Doing exercise therapy to stretch and strengthen your arms and wrists (see some moves below) can help you adapt.

• Your job. If you’re on your computer all day, you can develop inner elbow pain simply by gripping your mouse tightly, says Dr. Aeder. Manual labor that requires forceful, repetitive movements like construction, plumbing, and carpentry can also cause it.

These inner elbow pain exercises are recommended by Hinge Health therapists to alleviate pain and strengthen the muscles in your wrists and arms, to keep the pain from coming back. This way you’ll be able to keep up with all the activities you enjoy, like golf and tennis, with less pain and discomfort.

The information contained in these videos is intended to be used for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice or treatment for any specific condition. Hinge Health is not your healthcare provider and is not responsible for any injury sustained or exacerbated by your use of or participation in these exercises. Please consult with your healthcare provider with any questions you may have about your medical condition or treatment.

Treatment for inner elbow pain

Most people can recover from inner elbow pain within about six to 12 weeks with at-home treatments. Here’s what Hinge Health physical therapists recommend. 

• Physical therapy. A physical therapist (PT) can recommend stretching and strengthening exercises, like the ones above, to improve elbow and wrist mobility, relieve symptoms, and strengthen surrounding muscles to take pressure off of the elbow. You can see a physical therapist in person or use a program like Hinge Health to access a PT via telehealth/video visit.

• Ice. “I always recommend ice cupping, because ice can help relieve inflammation around your elbow bone,” says Dr. Aeder. To make an ice cup, take a small paper cup and fill it three-quarters of the way up with water. Freeze it, then, when you want to use it, peel out a piece from the bottom of the cup so that the ice is exposed. Then apply that to your elbow. (And use a towel to catch any drips from the other end.)

• Self-massage. Dr. Aeder recommends that you simply place your thumb over the sore area, and massage it for 10-15 minutes to help increase blood flow and bring in healing nutrients. 

• Over-the-counter medications. Pain relievers such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), naproxen (Aleve), and acetaminophen (Tylenol) can help with inner elbow pain. Sometimes topical medications such as diclofenac can also make you feel better. It’s important to make sure that you are safely able to take these medications, based on your medical history.

• Arm brace. Wearing a brace may reduce pressure on the injured tendon in your elbow. You can use it while you work or play sports. Just make sure to use it so that the brace cushion rests on your forearm muscles (about three to four inches from the tip of your elbow bone).

• Check your lifting technique. When lifting heavier objects, try lifting with your palm down (instead of palm up) to shift stress from the inside to the outside of your elbow. 

How to prevent inner elbow pain

Although you can experience inner elbow pain from regular, everyday activities, there are steps you can take to help prevent it from occurring altogether, such as:

• Warming up before activity. Dynamic stretches can prepare your wrists, arms, and elbow joints for a more vigorous workout or activity, especially one that involves consistent gripping.

• Strengthening and stretching your arm muscles. Arm stretches and strengthening exercises can help take pressure off your elbow joint, reducing your risk of developing inner elbow pain with activity. 

• Checking your swing. If you golf, consider taking a few lessons from a golf coach to get feedback on your swing and grip. This can help prevent pain from setting in.

• Listening to your body. Pain is tricky because it’s not always an accurate indication of damage. You don’t need to drop everything and stop moving at the first sign of a twinge in your inner elbow, but putting heavy loads on an already inflamed joint may make for a longer recovery. If you notice inner elbow pain, it’s okay to scale back to gentle movement to prevent your pain from getting worse. 

• Increasing exercise gradually. If you’re new to a sport like golf or tennis — or are planning an all-day task like painting your house — aim to start gradually, taking plenty of breaks to give your arms and elbows a rest. If you usually play one round of golf every few weekends, make sure you take breaks as needed or play at a more moderate intensity for part of the round. Over time, you can work up to more time spent playing or increased intensity.

PT tip: Mix it up 

Mix up your activities throughout the day to prevent inner elbow pain. “It’s all about variety and not doing the same thing,” says Dr. Aeder. That might mean changing your paintbrush grip if you’re a painter, or using your mouse or keyboard differently throughout the day. 

Referencias 

1. Maughan, R. J., & Shirreffs, S. M. (2019). Calbres musculares durante el ejercicio: causas, soluciones y preguntas restantes. Medicina Deportiva. doi: 10.1007/s40279-019-01162-1

2. Pieters, Louise, et al. (2020, marzo). Una actualización de revisiones sistemáticas que examinan la efectividad de las intervenciones conservadoras de fisioterapia para el dolor de hombro subacromial. Diario de Fisioterapia & Deportiva Ortopédica. doi: 10.2519/jospt.2020.8498.

3. Alzahrani, Wael M. (2022, agosto) .Las inyecciones de plasma rico en plaquetas como alternativa a la cirugía en el tratamiento de pacientes con epicondilitis medial: una revisión sistemática. Cureus. doi:org/10.7759/cureus.28378. 

4. Tendinopatía del codo (codo de tenista y golfista). (2022, octubre). Actualización. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/elbow-tendinopathy-tennis-and-golf-elbow 

5. Codo de golfista. (2018, mayo). Biblioteca Nacional de Medicina. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK507002/