What causes elbow pain?
The elbow joint, which is responsible for the movements of the forearm, is a very important joint that determines the position of the hand relative to the body. The attachments located at the connection point of the bones that make up the arm contain many muscles and tendons. Elbow pain in this joint prevents the person from performing even the simplest daily movements, reducing the quality of life. It generally manifests itself as pain that prevents grasping and lifting of any object with the hand and occurs on the outer side of the elbow.
Causes of Elbow Pain
- Tendon inflammations and bursitis
- Tennis elbow disease is common in tennis players; It occurs due to repetitive straining movements and causes weakness in the hand and pain in the elbow.
- Golfer’s elbow disease, which got its name because it is common in golf players; It causes pain and tenderness in the protrusion on the inside of the elbow. It causes infections and small tears in the skin during frosts. Arm and elbow pain gets worse, especially when the hand is made into a fist.
- Soft tissue injuries
- Cervical disc hernias
- Nerve entrapment
- Calcification
- Inflammatory rheumatic diseases
- Elbow dislocations or fractures resulting from trauma such as falling or hitting
A number of diagnostic methods are used to diagnose elbow pain. Examinations such as elbow x-ray, Electro Myelography, Magnetic Resonance imaging help determine the cause of the disease.
How to relieve elbow pain
For the treatment of elbow pain, the necessary examinations are performed by a specialist doctor and the treatment method is determined. Generally, treatment methods applied without the need for surgery are successful in the majority of patients. In cases of sudden acute elbow pain, rest is recommended, avoiding movements that strain the elbow. Ice is applied to eliminate swelling accompanying pain in the elbow joint due to its edema-resolving properties. Applications such as arm slings or splints are used on the elbow. However, it is important that these applications be under the supervision of a doctor. Frostbite may occur when the elbow is not moved for a long time. Ozone therapy, which increases blood circulation, may be recommended for infections in the elbow joint. Physical therapy and the ESWT method, which focuses strong sound waves on the elbow joint, are also widely used for elbow pain that does not go away despite rest. Cortisone treatment, which must be performed by an orthopedic specialist, and sodium hyalurinate injection treatment, which is used especially in arthritis, popularly known as rooster’s comb, can also relieve elbow pain. If these practices do not have any effect on elbow pain, surgical methods such as elbow arthroscopy or open elbow surgery can be applied. Generally, open elbow surgeries are performed in serious cases that develop due to the progression of elbow calcification, tennis elbow, golfer’s elbow and nerve compression.
