MEDIAL EPICONDYLITIS - AN ELECTROMYOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS AND AN INVESTIGATION OF INTERVENTION STRATEGIES

Flexor and extensor muscle-tendon unit activity at the elbow during th e golf swing was recorded from subjects with and without medial epicon dylitis. There was no significant difference in total swing time betwe en symptomatic (1.23 +/- 0.15 sec) and asymptomatic (1.15 +/- 0.13 sec ) subjects nor between golfers with low (1 to 6 handicap, N = 8) and h igh (11 to 19 handicap, N = 8) scoring abilities. Symptomatic and asym ptomatic subjects displayed similar electromyographic profiles for fle xor and extensor muscles of the forearm. Electromyographic activity of the common extensor muscles was persistent throughout the four swing phases, ranging from 33.59% of maximum voluntary contraction at addres s to 58.77% at contact. Common flexor muscles produced a consistent bu rst of electromyographic activity during contact phase (flexor burst, 90.77% of maximum voluntary contraction). Symptomatic subjects' mean f lexor muscle electromyographic activity was significantly greater than that of asymptomatic subjects in both address and swing phases. When forearm brace and oversized grips were imposed on symptomatic subjects ', there was no significant difference in mean electromyographic magni tude or muscle activation pattern during the golf swing. Thus, the met hod of symptomatic relief of the intervention strategies tested is sti ll in question.