This article describes aching or other discomfort in the elbow that is not related to direct injury.
Alternative Names
Pain - elbow
Common Causes
Elbow pain can be caused by a variety of problems. A common cause in adults is tendinitis, an inflammation and injury to the tendons -- soft tissues that attach muscle to bone.
People who play racquet sports are most likely to injure the tendons on the outside of the elbow. This condition is commonly called tennis elbow. Golfers are more likely to injure the tendons on the inside of the elbow.
Other common causes of elbow tendinitis are gardening, playing baseball, using a screwdriver, or overusing your wrist.
Young children commonly develop "nursemaid's elbow," usually when someone is pulling on their straightened arm. The bones are stretched apart momentarily and a ligament slips in between, where it becomes trapped when the bones try to snap back into place. Children will usually quietly refuse to use the arm, but often cry out with any attempt to bend or straighten the elbow. This condition is also called an elbow subluxation (a partial dislocation).
Other common causes of elbow pain are:
Bursitis -- inflammation of a fluid-filled cushion beneath the skin
Arthritis -- narrowing of the joint space and loss of cartilage in the elbow
Elbow strains
Infection of the elbow
Home Care
In adults, the following steps can help treat many cases of elbow pain:
When you first notice the pain, apply ice up to 15 minutes every hour for the first day. Continue to apply ice every 3 to 4 hours for up to 3 days. Wrap the ice in a cloth -- do not apply ice directly to the skin.
Wrap the elbow with a bandage, such as an ACE bandage.
Retrocalcaneal bursitis (2 images)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Retrocalcaneal bursitis is swelling(inflammation) of the fluid-filled sac(bursa) at the back of the heel bone(calcaneus).A bursa acts as a cushion and lubricant between tendons and muscles sliding over bone. There are bursas around most large join...Reviewer: Andrew L. Chen, MD, MS, Orthopedist, The Alpine Clinic, Littleton, NH. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.Date: 07/17/2008
Shoulder pain (2 images)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Shoulder pain involves any pain in or around the shoulder joint.The shoulder is the most mobile joint in the human body. The rotator cuff in the shoulder is made up of four tendons. Reviewer: Andrew L. Chen, MD, MS, Orthopedist, The Alpine Clinic, Littleton, NH. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.Date: 07/17/2008
Pain medications (1 image)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Pain medicines are also called analgesics. Every type of pain medicine has benefits and risks. Reviewer: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.Date: 05/02/2009
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