Elbow pain is frequently a result of overuse or sports injuries and can make it difficult to perform even simple tasks like brushing your hair. The interventional pain experts at Performance Pain and Sports Medicine provide an extensive range of physical therapies, complementary treatments, injectable treatments, and regenerative medicine to address the causes of elbow pain and relieve your discomfort. Find out more by calling one of the offices in Houston, Texas; or Lawrenceville, New Jersey, today.
The conditions most likely to cause elbow pain include:
Also known as golfer’s or baseball elbow, medial epicondylitis causes pain that extends from your elbow to your wrist on the inside (medial aspect) of your elbow. It develops if you repeatedly flex your wrist against resistance or forcefully grip something, as you would when swinging a golf club or a baseball bat.
Also known as tennis elbow, lateral epicondylitis causes pain on the outside (lateral aspect) of your elbow. It develops if you repeatedly extend your wrist against resistance, as you would when using a tennis racquet.
A medial collateral ligament (MCL) tear in your elbow can happen as an acute injury due to excessive strain on the medial (inside) of your elbow. It could also be a result of overuse of your elbow.
The ulnar nerve extends along the inner side of your elbow. Compression can occur as a result of a direct impact on the ulnar nerve, either from a fall or collision.
Elbow pain can vary in severity and how it affects you, depending on the cause. Medial epicondylitis, for example, causes pain on the same side as your little finger, from your palm down your forearm to your elbow. The pain worsens when you bend your wrist toward your palm or make squeezing movements.
Lateral epicondylitis causes pain along the outside of your forearm and elbow, and down to your wrist. Pain may be worse when performing everyday activities like picking up a cup, opening a jar, turning a doorknob, or carrying groceries.
MCL tears cause pain on the inner side of your elbow. It may only be partial and cause minimal pain, or the MCL could rupture completely, causing significant pain and disability. Nerve compression can result in a pins-and-needles sensation, burning, or numbness.
The Performance Pain and Sports Medicine team typically begins treatment for elbow pain with conservative approaches, such as:
Find out how you can benefit from the Performance Pain and Sports Medicine team's expertise by calling their office today. The practice values your time, so you can count on low wait times, if any, at your appointment.