Golfer's elbow
I have been suffering from “golfer’s elbow” for over a year now. My doctor prescribed anti-inflammatory tablets which I took for a month, followed by a pain-relief commercial gel. Neither of these really worked so I was offered steroid injections. I have tried acupuncture and shiatsu treatments, which did improve things, but I would like to get rid of this pain for good. What do you recommend?
What you need to remember about complementary medicine is that what works for one person will not always work for another, especially when it comes to joint pain. What this means is that you may have to try out several remedies or hands-on therapies to find the one that really works for you.
If you can muster the enthusiasm for another treatment regimen, then I am going to suggest you investigate the Bowen Technique. This is one of the few hands-on therapies that can boast its own clinical research and while it is a form of energy medicine and so nobody can explain exactly how it works, it does get very good results, especially with persistent musculoskeletal problems.
The two supplements I am going to recommend are Quercetin - a bioflavanoid and a natural, anti-inflammatory agent found, for example, in red onions - and a sulphur compound called methylsulphonylmethane, shortened to MSM.
This is a naturally occurring form of organic sulphur that is present in all living organisms. You can get it from lots of foods, including fresh fruits, cows’ milk and fresh vegetables, as well as meats and seafoods, but it is destroyed by cooking and food processing techniques, so few of us get enough in our diets. Half the sulphur in the body is concentrated in the bones and muscles but levels drop off as you age and so supplementation can restore joint mobility.