The term elbow pain describes a common complaint of many people. The individual causes and the nature of the ailments vary from time to time. Some common causes of elbow pain are described below.
The term elbow is used colloquially to describe the elbow joint, which consists of the connection of three bones. The elbow joint connects the humerus with the bones of the forearm, ulna and radius. In order to enable a smooth movement, the joint is surrounded by a joint capsule filled with synovial fluid and certain structures are protected by so-called bursae.
In addition to the bones, which are covered with cartilage at the connection points, other structures such as nerves and vessels run along the elbow joint. Thus, a whole range of different structures can be damaged and cause pain. In addition to acute pain, which is caused by an injury such as that caused by an accident, the elbow also suffers from pain due to wear and tear and overstrain of the structures.
In principle, the individual therapy depends on the diagnosed disease. Thus, in many cases, treatment can be conservative, i.e. solely through the use of medication and immobilization of the joint. Other diseases and injuries of the structures of the elbow make surgical intervention necessary. If the pain at the elbow persists for a longer period of time, a doctor should be consulted in any case, who can make an individual diagnosis and also make an adapted therapy recommendation. Specialists in the field of diseases that typically cause elbow pain are specialists in orthopedics.
Symptoms
Depending on the underlying disease pattern, the elbow pain can vary. The description of the pain as well as the movements where the pain occurs can help the treating physician to get an impression of the disease that might be the cause of the pain. For example, pain that mainly occurs when pressure is applied to the elbow, such as when the elbow is supported, can be an indication of an inflammation of the bursa.
Pain that occurs when the joint is moved can be caused by a pathological nerve path or wear and tear of the cartilage. An additional occurrence of other symptoms such as swelling, redness or overheated skin can also help the doctor to further limit the range of forms of the disease. Elbow pain is a common symptom that occurs when the joint is rotated and bent and when pressure is applied to the joint. In addition to the intensity and the triggering movement, the time at which the pain frequently occurs can also be important. Elbow pain, which mainly occurs in the morning, can thus be an indication of existing rheumatoid arthritis as a cause, whereas nocturnal elbow pain is more indicative of degenerative arthrosis of the elbow joint.
