Elbow pain is most often caused by various injuries and trauma, but osteoarthritis and localised inflammation of the elbow joint often contribute. It has very often related to overexploitation this part of the body, because wmany sports require repetitive, monotonous movementsthat in the elbow, hand or arm. However, as it turns out, this ailment does not only affect athletes and mIt can affect anyone of any age.
How is the elbow joint structured?
The elbow joint is the anatomical connection between the shoulder and forearm. It consists of three pairs of articular surfaces surrounded by a common joint capsule and reinforced by ligaments. It is a complex, hinge-rotation, biaxial joint. It allows bending of the upper limb and rotational movement of the forearm
Who is most commonly affected by elbow pain?
The most common cause of elbow pain can be micro-injuries and inflammation. People who play tennis, squash, badminton and golf are at risk of developing elbow pain because they are constantly performing the same movement sequences. Repetition also increases the risk of elbow pain for dentists, masseurs, programmers, office workers and carpenters. Cooks, lumberjacks and archers also suffer from it. Elbow pain is mainly caused by overloading the arm for a long period of time during wrist movements. Degeneration of the elbow joint also contributes to it. It is worth noting that usually the hand that starts to hurt is the dominant limb, which is usually the right.
Elbow pain - causes
The most common injuries causing symptoms of a painful elbow include:
elbow fracture,
fracture of the ulnar process,
sprain and dislocation of the elbow.
Pain in the elbow joint, manifesting itself painem hand i swollenm elbowdark moto be also caused by diseasesami degenerativeymi joints and inflammation tendons referred to as tendinopathies as well as inflammation tendon attachments or enthesopathies. To these last credit conditions such as: golfer's elbow, or tennis player. Such pain mmay also be caused by bursitis elbow. To other reasons belong ditchnot entrapment of nerve structures and their mobility between tissues is impaired. Overall, the most common poods elbow pain may include:
tennis elbow,
golfer's elbow
ulnar nerve canal syndrome,
Guyon's canal syndrome,
dislocation or fracture of the elbow,
capsulitis,
arthritis,
rheumatoid arthritis
osteomyelitis,
diseases such as lupus or Lyme disease
Treatment elbow pain
Treatment of elbow pain depends on the factor causing it. Often conservative treatment, i.e. rest and a change in habits, is sufficient. The use of elbow pain ointments, analgesic and anti-inflammatory tablets and various physiotherapy treatments also work well. The rehabilitation of elbow injuries uses both physical therapy methods and manual therapy treatments, as well as treatments to strengthen and improve the mobility of the joint and its components.
Among the physical therapy treatments for proximal elbow pain, physiotherapists use iontophoresis, which involves the administration of an analgesic drug by means of electricity, laser or ultrasound. If the patient suffers from tennis elbow, shock wave therapy is effective. The following are also very effective treatments for elbow problems relaxation massages, tight muscles, tendons of the arm and forearm. New methods for soothing elbow pain also include kinesiotaping, which involves applying patches to the painful area to pull the skin and fascia away from the muscle structures and increase the space around the elbow joint. This causes the pain to ease and sometimes even disappear.
In more difficult cases that are more advanced or cannot be treated conservatively, the patient must undergo surgical treatment.
