Quick fixes for aching elbows

The elbow is a funny joint. It is home to your funny bone — your ulnar nerve — which hurts if it's hit a certain way. And the elbow is often overlooked as an important joint to help us maintain our independence.

Many adults may not think much about the elbow, because it's not a weight-bearing joint and because it doesn't often develop arthritis or require joint replacement. But elbow pain can keep you from getting dressed, cooking dinner, and anything else that requires the use of your arm. Taking care of this joint helps ensure that you can care for yourself.

Elbow basics

The elbow is made up of bones, muscles, ligaments (which connect bones), and tendons (which connect muscles to bone). Three bones come together at the elbow joint: the humerus, which is in the upper arm, and two long bones called the ulna and radius in the lower arm.

Your elbow has two main motions:

• Flexing and straightening. Flexing your arm allows you to bring your hand toward your body (flexion), which you do when bringing food to your mouth or putting your hands on your hips. Straightening your arm (extension) allows such motions as putting your arm in a shirt sleeve or reaching your toes.
• Turning up and down. You can also flip your palms from facing the ceiling (supination) to facing the floor (pronation). These motions are important for many common movements, such as turning a key or a doorknob.

Causes of elbow pain

The most common cause of elbow pain is inflammation of one or both of the elbow's two tendons. This is called tendinitis, and it is often the result of overuse.

Repetitive movements from everyday work, household chores, golf, or tennis can affect the muscles above and below the elbow and cause tendinitis. Tendinitis pain travels from the elbow to the upper arm or to the lower arm.

Other causes of elbow pain are fractures from falling onto an outstretched arm; arthritis; sprains, which stretch or tear elbow ligaments; and bursitis, inflammation of the fluid-filled joint cushions called bursae.

Elbow pain diagnosis

If you are unable to make your arm completely straight after an injury, contact your doctor. Your doctor will ask about your symptoms, try to identify risk factors, and discuss what activities cause symptoms and where on your arm the symptoms occur.

Your doctor will also want to know if you have had a previous injury to the elbow or a history of rheumatoid arthritis or nerve disease.

During the examination, your doctor will use a variety of tests to pinpoint the diagnosis. Your doctor will likely check for a possible fracture and recommend an x-ray. Your doctor may ask you to try to straighten your wrist and fingers against resistance with your arm fully straight to see if this causes pain.

How to treat common causes of elbow pain

If your elbow is just sore, you should consider these approaches before contacting your doctor for help.

• Rest. Stop overuse of the muscle group you suspect is behind your elbow pain. For example, if you have a hobby or project that requires repetitive wrist flexing or extending, you may be overusing the muscles and tendons of the forearm that connect to the elbow.
• Heat therapy. Heat can bring blood flow and nutrients to the elbow, which can encourage healing. Protect your skin with a thin cloth, then place a heating pad or hot pack around your elbow.
• Stretching.Stretching out the muscles of the forearm can offer some relief. Simply straighten your elbow out with the palm of your hand facing the floor, and gently pull your fingers toward the underside of your wrist. You should feel a stretch along the back of your forearm. Hold it for 30 seconds. Then flip your forearm over, with your palm facing the ceiling, and push your fingers toward the floor. Hold for 30 seconds.
• Bracing. Wearing a brace keeps the muscles and tendons still, allowing them time to heal. You can buy various arm braces at most drugstores. Look for one that immobilizes the muscles that may be causing your pain, such as a wrist or forearm brace if you often flex your wrist. Be sure to take the brace off several times a day and gently stretch elbow and wrist.

Prevention

Once your elbow has healed, talk to your doctor about physical therapy to strengthen the muscles surrounding the joint. You'll likely perform exercises such as biceps curls that focus on the muscles in your upper arm. Strengthen your muscles every other day, so they have time to repair and replenish energy stores. You can stretch them daily.

Bicep curl

Exercise the front upper arm muscles.

Strengthening the biceps not only helps protect your elbow, but also helps you perform the activities of daily living, such as lifting a gallon of milk, brushing your teeth, pushing yourself out of a chair, or raising a blow dryer to your hair.

Stand or sit holding a dumbbell down at your side with your palm facing inward. Slowly bend your elbow, lifting the weight toward your upper chest. Keep your elbow close to your side. As you lift, rotate your palm so it faces your shoulders. Pause. Slowly lower your arm to the starting position. Do eight to 12 repetitions. Rest, then repeat on the other arm.

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