Elbow Conditions
The elbow is a hinge joint connecting the upper arm bone (humerus) with the bones of the forearm (radius and ulna). It consists of three joints enclosed within a capsule and held together by muscles, tendons, and ligaments.
Many things can make your elbow hurt. A common cause is tendinitis, an inflammation or injury to the tendons that attach muscle to bone. Although tendinitis of the elbow is a sports injury, often from playing tennis or golf, it also results from other overuse activities of the elbow. Other causes of elbow pain include sprains, strains, fractures, dislocations, bursitis, and arthritis.
Elbow pain
The treatment for elbow pain depends on the cause of the pain. General measures that prevent overuse or strain in the elbow include:
- Taking frequent breaks from activities that require extensive hand and wrist motions
- Reducing or avoiding the lifting of objects with the arm extended
- Reducing repetitive gripping and grasping with the hand and wrist
- Decreasing the overall tension of gripping
- Avoiding the extremes of bending and full extension
- Working with the elbow in a partially flexed position
