After watching the Ryder Cup I decided it was time for me to go back to hitting a few balls. However, after a couple of games I've developed a very painful elbow with a sharp pain shooting from my elbow to my wrist every time I bend my wrist. What could it be?
It sounds like you've developed a common sports injury of the elbow joint known as medial epicondylitis or golfer's elbow. People who develop this condition experience severe pain on the inner aspect of the elbow with associated swelling.
Bending (flexion) and twisting (pronation) of the wrist or gripping with the hand causes pain on the palm side of the forearm from the elbow towards the wrist.
The injury is exacerbated by pushing the elbow joint to the end of its range of movement - something that can happen when poor sports techniques are used.
Does this mean I shouldn't play golf any more?
Well, until such time as your injury settles you would be best advised not to play. Treatment of this type of injury involves the use of rest, ice, compression and elevation (Rice).
Resting the injured part minimises swelling and prevents the injury from worsening. Ice helps limit inflammation and reduces pain while using a support bandage and elevating the injury helps reduce swelling. Once it has healed however, strengthening exercises for the wrist, shoulder and the elbow should be undertaken under supervision. Sports injuries which are slow to resolve should be treated by a physiotherapist specialising in the rehabilitation of sports injuries.
I thought getting back to sport would be good for me but now I'm not so sure.
The most common cause of sports injuries is over-use and generally the result of faulty training methods or techniques.
In addition, sports injuries are more likely to occur when people do not warm up properly or when they return to a sport after an absence without building up to the activity gradually.
When you have recovered fully get back into the swing of the game gently. A couple of refresher lessons with a professional to work on any faulty techniques would be a good idea.