Medical history (history of illness) represents an important component in the diagnosis of elbow pain.
Family history
- What is the general health of your family members?
Social history
- What is your profession?
- Is there any evidence of psychosocial stress or strain due to your family situation?
Current medical history/systemic history (somatic and psychological complaints).
- Where exactly is the pain localized?
- Lateral (lateral) → think of: Epicondylitis humeri lateralis (tennis elbow) Symptomatology: mild to moderate pain, intensified when using the hand.
- Medial (“located in the middle”) → think of: Epicondylitis humeri medialis (golfer’s elbow); symptomatology: pain medial in the elbow and amplification of the same by use of the hand.
- Above the olecranon (The olecranon is the end of the ulna close to the body) → think of: Bursitis (inflammation of the bursa).
- In the joint → think of: Arthritis (joint inflammation), osteoarthritis (joint wear) or osteochondritis (circumscribed bone-cartilage inflammation ).
- What is the character of the pain? Sharp? Dull?
- Does the pain radiate?
- Ascending laterally in upper arm toward shoulder → think of: Shoulder disease
- Forearm and hand → think of: Epicondylitis
- How did the symptoms start:
- Suddenly or slowly increasing?
- A wrong movement or an overload?
- After an accident?
- By what does the pain increase:
- Load-dependent (indications of possible degenerative changes)?
- At rest?
- At night (inflammatory cause)* ?
- Provocation by a typical movement?
- In the case of professional activity?
- In sports?
- What relieves the pain?
- On a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is very mild and 10 is very severe, how severe is the pain?
- Is there any limitation of movement of the affected arm?
- Can you detect cracking on movement, genk lock on extension and grasping? → think of: intra-articular pathology.
- Are there other symptoms such as sensory disturbances or paralysis of the arm* ?
Vegetative anamnesis incl. nutritional anamnesis.
- Do you do any sports? If so, what sports discipline and how often weekly?
Self history incl. medication history.
- Pre-existing conditions (musculoskeletal disorders (eg, rheumatoid arthritis), internal diseases (eg, gout)).
- Operations
- Radiotherapy
- Vaccination status
- Allergies
- Medication history
* If this question has been answered with “Yes”, an immediate visit to the doctor is required! (Information without guarantee)
