Also called the hinge joint, the joint of the elbow allows you to twist and bend your arms. It is located where the humerus (the long bone) meets the bones in the forearm. At the end of your humerus, there are two bony parts- the lateral (outside of the arm) and the medial (inside) epicondyle. The strong elbow cords keep the joint in place while tendons attach bones to the muscles.
However, you may experience elbow pain in or around the joint due to overuse, inflamed, or strained soft tissues. Elbow pain may be caused by activities that require repetitive arm, wrist, or hand movements. Common conditions that may result in mild to severe elbow pain are:
Golfer’s elbow or medial epicondylitis is a type of elbow tendinitis resulting in inflamed and painful tendons that connect to the elbow’s forearm. The pain is felt inside the elbow in the bony bump and radiates to the forearm. It is caused by the overuse of the muscle in the forearm, which most often results from repetitive flexing, swinging, and gripping. The risk of developing this condition is high in people indulging in racket sports, golf, heavy-weight training, and occupations that require forceful movements, like carpentry, plumbing, and construction.
Symptoms usually develop gradually and over months. However, some common signs of a golfer’s elbow include the following:
This elbow pain condition affects less than one percent of the population and mainly occurs in older people between 40 and 60.
Post-traumatic elbow arthritis is an osteoarthritis type that is caused by an injury to the elbow, like an elbow bone dislocation or fracture. The damage caused by an injury can further lead to arthritis in the affected elbow joint. Unlike other types of arthritis, this one affects young individuals more than older adults. Symptoms of post-traumatic elbow arthritis may include pain, stiffness, tenderness, and swelling of the elbow joint.
Injuries that can cause post-traumatic elbow arthritis are:
Injuries to the bones wear down the cartilage in the elbow joints faster, especially when you have an injury again on the same joint. The condition is diagnosed through a physical examination along with imaging tests. Physical examination includes a comparison of the joint to its motion range, while imaging tests include an X-ray of the damaged elbow joint, MRI, and CT scan.
You may experience severe elbow pain due to a distal biceps tendon partial tear. The condition characteristics are similar to the complete disruption, such as:
However, the only distinctive aspect of this elbow condition is that the bicep tendons are palpable in the partial tear. Partial tears damage the soft tissue but don’t break off the tendon.
The distal biceps tendon partial tears are caused because of a sudden injury. Injuries at the elbow usually occur when forcing the elbow against resistance, such as lifting heavy objects or loads without realizing how heavy it is. This often causes strain on the biceps and tendons when you try to keep your arms bent as you struggle to lift the weight. It puts stress on the biceps and causes partial tears.
The risk of developing partial tears is higher in men above 30 years and people who smoke or use steroid medication.
The ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) injury occurs because of the wear & tear of the elbow ligaments. The UCL is inside the elbow, attached to the upper arm bone (humerus) and the forearm bone (ulna). It has three bands: front, back, and across. Though a UCL tear may rarely prevent you from running, lifting weights, exercising, or other non-throwing activities, it may lower your ability to participate in games that require repetitive actions and throwing.
This condition is common among baseball pitchers and athletes who frequently engage in overarm movement. UCL can cause inflammation or complete tears of the ligaments. Symptoms of UCL are:
Medically termed lateral epicondylitis, tennis elbow is a condition characterized by elbow tendon pain. It occurs in the forearm muscle attached to the bony part outside the elbow. The condition can cause potential tearing, inflammation, and degeneration.
Tennis elbow is a condition caused by repetitive wrist and arm movements such as:
The pain from the tennis elbow may radiate into the wrist and forearm from the outside of the elbow. Furthermore, weakness and pain may make it hard for people with tennis elbow to:
Statistics show that nearly two percent of the US population has tennis elbow.
Though arthritis is a severe health condition, osteoarthritis of the elbow is rare. It affects 2 to 3 percent of people but is most commonly reported in men. The condition occurs when the elbow’s cartilage becomes damaged and worn out, primarily if you have had an elbow injury in the past, like a fracture or dislocated elbow. Nonetheless, it may also occur because of the age or years of activity resulting in normal joint cartilage wear and tear.
The risk of developing osteoarthritis of the elbow increases when:
Symptoms reported in patients with elbow osteoarthritis are severe pain, limited motion range, and locking or grating sensation.
At Beyond StemCells, we can offer the best treatments to alleviate elbow pain generated by all the conditions discussed above. Contact us to schedule a consultation. Let our board-certified experts diagnose your condition and provide you with the best treatment.