Elbow Pain

What causes elbow pain?

Though elbow fractures cause significant pain, you're more likely to have a painful elbow when repetitive movements cause an overuse injury.

Overuse injuries develop gradually as you keep performing the same arm movement. The repetitive stress causes small tears and inflammation in the ligaments, tendons, and muscles. If you don't rest your elbow and give the tissues time to heal, the problem worsens.

The most common overuse injuries include:

• Tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis)
• Golfer’s elbow (medial epicondylitis)
• Flexor tendonitis
• Ulnar neuritis
• Ulnar collateral ligament injury
• Valgus extension overload
• Olecranon stress fracture
• Cubital tunnel syndrome (ulnar nerve entrapment)

Tennis elbow occurs when the tendons connecting the forearm muscles to the outside of your elbow become inflamed. Golfer’s elbow arises from inflammation in the tendons connecting forearm muscles to the inside of your elbow. 

What symptoms accompany elbow pain?

When you have elbow pain, chances are you will have other symptoms, including:

• Swelling
• Bruising
• Joint stiffness
• Weak grip
• Joint locking
• Loss of arm strength
• Limited elbow movement
• Limited arm movement

When you have severe symptoms, or they don't improve in a few days, you should get treatment from the exceptional team at Northeast Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine. 

How is elbow pain treated?

After finishing your exam and ordering diagnostic images if needed, your provider creates a treatment plan based on the underlying cause and the severity of your symptoms.

In most cases, elbow pain treatment begins with nonsurgical therapies such as:

• Resting your elbow
• Wearing a brace
• Changing your activities
• Anti-inflammatory medicines
• Joint injections
• Physical therapy

 If you plan to return to sports or work activities that stress your elbow, your physical therapy includes training that helps you prevent future injuries.

When does elbow pain need surgery?

If you have a complex fracture, you need immediate surgery to realign and stabilize the bones. People who have advanced elbow arthritis may need a joint replacement to ease their pain and restore movement. 

You may also need surgery when your elbow pain doesn't improve with nonsurgical treatments. When Northeast Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine recommends elbow surgery, they perform a minimally invasive procedure called arthroscopy.

During arthroscopic surgery, they make a tiny incision and insert a slim scope into the elbow joint. A tiny camera in the scope sends magnified images to a monitor, allowing your provider to examine the tissues and perform surgery to repair the problem.

To get expert care for elbow pain, call Northeast Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine, or book an appointment online today.