Elbow pain

Elbow pain not only causes pain to a person, but can also limit his motor activity with his hands, causing significant discomfort. However, due to the fact that the elbow is in good visibility for the doctor, examination and treatment procedures are not difficult.

The normal degree of extension and flexion in the elbow ranges from 0 to 150°. When the elbow is bent, supination and rotation are performed at 90°. Pain in the elbow and in the middle of the outer part of the arm may be irradiating, from the shoulder joint area.

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What causes elbow pain?

Elbow pain can be caused by a variety of reasons, such as osteochondrosis, diseases associated with inflammatory processes (gout, osteoarthrosis, tendinitis, rheumatoid arthritis, tumor, chondrocalcinosis) cause pain in the elbow. Its appearance is also provoked by osteophyte, which narrows the groove of the ulnar nerve, forming ulnar neuropathy.

Lateral or medial epicondylitis

You can also find other names: "tennis elbow" and "golfer's elbow". In the first case, pain in the elbow appears when straightening the arm, and in the second case, on the contrary, when bending. Damage occurs from overstraining the tendons and muscle tissue of the forearm, leading to an inflammatory process. Pain is felt during palpation and passive movement.

Lateral epicondylitis is external. The elbow begins to hurt when a person performs loads that the body is not used to (for example, sports after a long break). The epicondyle of the humerus suffers, but the pain in the elbow can radiate down the arm. The disease often manifests itself in people over 35 years old. It occurs as a result of overstraining the tendon of the common extensor, attached to the lateral epicondyle of the humerus. In this case, a rupture of the fibers of the aponeurosis can occur. The pain in the elbow increases sharply with tension of this tendon (flexion of the wrist and fingers with a pronated position of the hand). Painful sensations occur on the anterior surface of the lateral epicondyle of the humerus. Ask the patient to straighten the hand, and then lightly press on it from above - the pain in the elbow increases sharply. X-ray does not reveal pathology. Over time, the elbow pain usually goes away, but infiltration of hydrocortisone into the beginning of the tendon promotes faster pain relief and recovery. If this measure is ineffective, it is advisable to prescribe physiotherapy to the patient. In severe cases, when nothing helps, surgical treatment is undertaken: the very beginning of the general extension is “torn off” from the bone and left free in its proper place - this can bring significant relief to the patient.

Medial epicondylitis, on the contrary, is internal and it is less common than external. Elbow pain occurs when trying to palpate the area where the muscles are attached to the medial epicondyle, and also spreads down the arm (along the ulnar surface).

"Student's elbow"

It is caused by traumatic bursitis, which occurs as a result of pressure on the elbows, such as from reading a gripping book for a long time. There is pain in the elbow and swelling below the olecranon. Other causes may be septic or gouty bursitis [in the latter case, gouty tophi (nodes) should be looked for elsewhere]. Fluid is aspirated from the bursa. In traumatic bursitis, hydrocortisone is injected into the synovial bursa. Septic bursitis should be drained.

Neuritis of the ulnar nerve

Ulnar nerve fibrosis and ulnar neuropathy may be caused by osteoarthritic narrowing of the ulnar groove, constriction of the ulnar nerve where it passes behind the medial epicondyle of the ulna, and friction of the ulnar nerve due to cubitus valgus (often a consequence of supracondylar fractures in childhood). Patients often experience awkwardness in hand movement. Pain often extends to a limited extent to the little finger and medial surface of the ring finger. Weakness of the small muscles of the hand innervated by the ulnar nerve (adductor pollicis, interosseous muscles, abductor pollicis, and opposer pollicis). Nerve conduction studies reveal the area of nerve lesion. Treatment consists of surgical release of the entrapped nerve and its placement in a new canal in front of the elbow.

"Valgus elbow"

The normal degree of valgus ("forming an angle") at the elbow is 10° for men and 15° for women. Fractures at the lower end of the humerus or disturbances in the growth plate of the lateral epiphysis can increase this angle. This results in ulnar neuritis and osteoarthritis of the elbow. Both of these conditions require treatment.

"Varus elbow"

This deformity usually occurs after incomplete healing of supracondylar fractures.

Osteoarthritis of the elbow joint

Risk factors for this disease are osteitis dissecans and fractures with damage to the elbow joint. Usually, flexion and extension of the elbow joint are impaired, but rotation is preserved. Surgical intervention is rarely indicated, but if pain in the lateral sections remains, excision of the radial head can be performed. If joint pain is associated with the presence of "free bodies" in the joint cavity, which can also sometimes block the joint, they are removed.

Other Causes of Elbow Pain

• Elbow pain is caused by inflammatory processes in the superficial olecranon bursa (olecranon bursitis) due to constant trauma to the elbow surface (posterior-inferior) or formed together with gout, arthritis, RA. When the arm is straightened, a rounded neoplasm up to the size of a chicken egg can be seen in the olecranon area.
• People suffering from hemophilia, Charcot's neurotrophic arthropathy, experience elbow pain. In hemophilia, it occurs because the joint cavity is filled with poorly clotting blood.
• With diffuse fasciitis, when the elbow joint becomes limited in movement, the skin in the area of the shoulders and forearms resembles an orange peel in appearance, and small seals can be felt under the skin when palpated.
• Joint blockages caused by chondromatosis of the joints. In the joint cavities, the doctor can find extra formations (bone or cartilage), which impede movement in the joint.
• Damage to the cervical (fifth to sixth) or thoracic (first to second) vertebrae: osteochondrosis of the spine or pinching of the nerve pathways with intervertebral hernia. With such diseases, pain in the elbow is felt both when moving the arm and when it is at rest. The pain does not remain in place, but is localized throughout the arm. In this case, the biceps brachii muscle often undergoes atrophy, and the sensitivity of the skin surfaces of the forearm undergoes changes.
• Elbow joint trauma: dislocations, subluxations, fractures. The injury can be caused by falling on the elbow or hand, in a car accident, during sports activities, while working in production, etc.

What to do if you have pain in your elbow?

Elbow pain requires medical attention. If you cannot get immediate medical help, you should stop moving the sore arm, immobilize the elbow joint, and apply ice to the sore spot for a short time.

Elbow Pain Treatment

Treatment of elbow pain begins with examination of the patient. The patient is checked for the degree of pain in the elbow joint, swelling of the elbow, the ability to bend and straighten the arm. Then the patient is prescribed an X-ray, which will help establish an accurate diagnosis.

Often, for patients who suffer from elbow pain, treatment includes taking urine and blood tests, and undergoing fluorography, since elbow pain can be a sign of tuberculosis or some infectious disease, such as bursitis.

If the patient does not need emergency surgical care, he is prescribed antibacterial therapy, which helps to eliminate inflammation and bring the joint back to normal. And in order for the elbow pain to bother the patient less, the doctor can prescribe anti-inflammatory non-steroidal drugs in the form of tablets or injections. Sometimes ointments are also prescribed.

After the patient's inflammation has been eliminated, he may be prescribed therapeutic exercise, elbow massage, physical therapy, and acupuncture.

If there is no opportunity to see a doctor at the moment, you can resort to treating pain with folk remedies, but you should understand that self-medication is a very dangerous thing, and you need to act carefully here. To treat pain with folk remedies, you can use the following methods:

• You will need chicken eggshells, sour milk or sour milk. Remove the film from the shell and grind it into powder. Take the ingredients in equal parts and mix thoroughly until a homogeneous mass is obtained.

Place the mixture on a towel or scarf and wrap the sore elbow with the resulting compress. Wrap it with cellophane and a warm scarf on top. Apply the compress for an hour, then wipe the joint with a clean towel.

If the pain in the elbow has appeared not so long ago, then after 5 courses of wrapping you will feel an improvement. In case of long-term pain, you need to take a break for 5 days and repeat the whole course again (continue until relief comes).

• You need to take the top of several buttercup flowers (the plant is poisonous, so handle the prepared remedy very carefully) and pour boiling water (200 g). Let it brew for 20 minutes, then pour it into a large saucepan, pour hot water (about 5 l) and lower your elbow into the saucepan and steam it. The temperature of the hot water should be such that you can stand it.

Soak a towel in this infusion and wrap your elbow joint with it. Steam your elbow before going to bed, and keep the compress on all night. After a while, your elbow will stop hurting.

• Take the whites of 3 eggs and beat them. Take 50 g of medical alcohol, 50 g of camphor and 50 g of dry mustard. Put the beaten whites into the resulting mixture, mix well and lubricate the elbow. Tie with a warm scarf and leave overnight. The ointment can be used for several days, but keep it in the refrigerator.
• Marsh cinquefoil helps with joint pain. Finely chop the roots of marsh cinquefoil to make 1/3 of a liter jar. Add vodka to the jar and leave in a dark place for 3 weeks. Strain the infusion and take 1 tablespoon three times a day. You can soak a towel with the tincture for a night compress on the elbow joint.