Pain in the elbow when resting | Pain in the elbow

Pain in the elbow when resting

Pain when supporting the elbow occurs mainly in the case of bursitis. Due to the inflammatory reaction that develops in the bursa of the elbow, this area is particularly sensitive to pain due to the inflammatory mediators that are released in the tissue. If there is a touch here, for example when the tip of the elbow rests on a table, this causes incredibly strong pain.

If pain occurs when bending or stretching the elbow, it is usually the muscles or their associated tendons that are responsible for these movements. The biceps muscle is responsible for bending the elbow joint. If this muscle is irritated or cramped due to overstrain, pain may occur when bending the elbow.

Painful stretching indicates irritation of the triceps muscle or its tendon. This muscle performs most of the stretching movement in the elbow joint. In both cases, i.e. pain when bending and stretching, the joint should first be spared from the painful movement and the joint should be allowed to rest in order to show improvement. If immobilization during bending and stretching does not result in any improvement, pain and anti-inflammatory drugs, e.g. NSAIDs, can also be used.

Elbow pain at night

If pain in the elbow becomes noticeable, especially at night, it may be elbow arthrosis (cubital arthrosis).This is a degenerative wear of the cartilage in the elbow joint, so that the movement in the joint no longer runs smoothly. Particularly through stress at work or through intense sporting activity (e.g. as a handball player), elbow arthrosis is increasingly caused and usually causes stress-related pain. In a more advanced stage, pain also occurs at rest and at night.

Elbow pain in the morning

Rheumatoid arthritis (rheumatism), on the other hand, should be considered when the elbow hurts in the morning. These pains are associated with morning stiffness of the affected joint. Morning stiffness is caused by the fact that mobility is restricted by the prolonged immobilization of the joint during the night in the morning after getting up. In the course of the day, mobility improves again.