What causes elbow pain?
Elbow pain can occur for several reasons, including the following types of tendonitis.
Tennis elbow
Tennis elbow, or lateral epicondylitis, occurs with overuse of the tendons on your outer elbow. This injury affects not only tennis players but also others who make certain types of repetitive motions. For example, if you regularly lift heavy boxes or use large handheld tools, you can develop tennis elbow.
Golfer’s elbow
Golfer’s elbow, or medial epicondylitis, is quite similar to tennis elbow, but it affects a different area. With golfer’s elbow, the problem occurs in the inside part of your upper arm. As the name implies, golfer’s elbow is most common in golfers, but it can also affect others who routinely flex their wrists or tightly clench their fingers, like gardeners and painters.
Some other possible reasons for elbow pain include arthritis, fractures, elbow dislocation, joint inflammation (bursitis), and nerve entrapment.
What other symptoms go along with elbow pain?
Elbow pain is rarely the sole symptom. Without treatment, the problem may grow significantly worse, with increasing pain and other elbow-area symptoms, including:
- Restricted movement
- Stiffness
- Tingling
- Numbness
- Swelling
Elbow pain can also extend down your arm and even into your hand in some cases, causing pain and weakness in the grip. To recapture normal function, see a specialist at Mid Atlantic Orthopedic Associates, LLP, as soon as possible.
How is elbow pain treated?
Elbow pain treatment depends on the cause of your pain. Usually, treatments start with rest. This may mean temporarily discontinuing your sport or taking a little time off work. This can allow the irritated tissue or bone the time it needs to heal naturally. Your doctor may also prescribe oral medication, icing, bracing, and other conservative measures.
If you don’t respond to initial treatments, your specialist may recommend a stronger pain relief option like steroid injections. Steroids can combat inflammation and pain for up to several months.
Physical therapy, which includes both special exercises and pain-relieving measures, can also help you heal.
If you have long-term elbow pain despite trying all the nonsurgical treatments recommended by your doctor, surgery could be next. Your surgeon can perform procedures like elbow arthroscopic surgery, in which they can remove the loose tissue, release scar tissue buildup, or resurface worn bones as a permanent elbow pain solution.
