The elbow joint is a highly used joint that allows you to do many things throughout the day, which is why elbow pain is so detrimental. Elbow pain can come suddenly or develop over months to years of overuse.
When elbow pain strikes, every move you make with your arms may be excruciating – but what can you do? Simple home measures can help, but making the appropriate lifestyle modifications is vital to taming elbow discomfort.
Dr. Brandon Downs and the team at Orthopaedic Specialists provide physical therapy, PRP injections, and surgery to help you heal from joint injuries. If you're struggling with elbow pain, Dr. Downs evaluates the joint to determine the best treatment route, including lifestyle modifications.
The elbow joint is the junction between your radius and ulna and the upper portion of the arm, including the humerus. It moves in a hinge motion, allowing you to bend your arm and rotate the forearm.
Around the joint are muscles, tendons, and ligaments that keep the bones in place and protect the other delicate tissues within the elbow. The ulnar nerve also runs through the joint, allowing you to move muscles in the hands.
While the elbow joint is durable, you can injure it from trauma or overuse. There are various reasons you may have pain in the elbow, which include:
The symptoms you experience other than pain depend on the cause of the discomfort. For example, traumatic injuries like a dislocation may produce more severe symptoms than a bout of tendinitis.
Symptoms of an elbow problem may creep up on you when you least suspect it, especially if you have an overuse injury or arthritis. These symptoms are often nagging and difficult to eliminate on your own.
Traumatic injuries produce more severe symptoms that often subside with treatment and rest. The main symptoms related to elbow pain and dysfunction include:
The pain you experience may be severe at times and sharp, aching, or throbbing. It could be worse when you move or uncomfortable at rest. It can be so bad that you're unable to sleep at night.
As soon as you notice elbow pain, taking care of it is crucial to avoid long-term complications. You can typically treat mild to moderate elbow pain at home with rest, ice, and over-the-counter anti-inflammatories – but you have to make other modifications too.
Dr. Downs provides several options for lifestyle changes when you're living with elbow pain, three of which include:
One of the best things you can do for elbow pain is to change how you move the affected arm. Avoid movements that exacerbate the pain and make your symptoms worse.
You may need to modify your job and other hobbies that require repetitive movements. These movements worsen pain and may cause a flare-up of your elbow condition and symptoms.
Most of us forget to stretch after a workout or when something hurts, but it's something that can significantly decrease discomfort. Some elbow conditions get stiff without movement, causing more pain and disability.
Stretching even a few minutes can improve your range of motion, alleviate pain, and relax the muscles around the joint, allowing you to continue your normal activities.
Part of relieving elbow pain is moving with purpose daily. Dr. Downs and his team provide specific elbow exercises that help you strengthen the joint and surrounding muscles to improve functionality.
Specific elbow exercises are vital for pain relief and prevention of flare-ups and other complications. Dr. Downs may recommend strengthening exercises and range-of-motion movements to improve symptoms and joint function.
Unfortunately, lifestyle modifications aren't always enough to reduce your symptoms sufficiently to do your normal activities. If you struggle with elbow pain for more days than not, it may be time to seek professional treatment.
Some specific signs and symptoms should signal you to get an evaluation, including:
Dr. Downs quickly evaluates your symptoms and provides imaging studies to determine the cause of your pain. He then offers conservative and surgical treatments to eliminate pain and improve your quality of life.
Call Orthopaedic Specialists today to schedule an appointment with Dr. Downs for elbow pain. You may also request a consultation on our website.
