What Can I Do About My Elbow Pain?

While described medically as a hinge joint, your elbow has far more versatility than the pivot points on your front door. This has much to do with the rotational abilities of the three bones that meet at the joint.

This rotation reveals the complexity of the elbow. However, with these abilities comes the risk of dysfunction, and elbow pain is a common condition that many people experience.

Shoulder specialist Michael J. Bercik Jr., MD, also offers elbow services in Lancaster, Ephrata, Mount Joy, Pennsylvania, and surrounding areas.

Not every case of elbow pain requires medical attention. Provided there’s no sign of serious injury, such as distortion of the joint, extreme pain, bleeding, or significant fracture risk, you may be able to speed healing at home.

Here’s what you can do about your elbow pain.

Inflammatory situations

Many sources of elbow pain are inflammatory in nature and may be the result of repeated motion. Inflammatory conditions carry the medical prefix “itis,” and in the elbow, these can include:

Arthritis: a range of inflammatory joint conditions
Bursitis: inflammation of cushioning sacs called bursae
Tendinitis: inflammation of the tissue that connects muscles to bones
Lateral epicondylitis: commonly known as tennis elbow
Medial epicondylitis: golfer’s elbow

When the source of your elbow pain results from inflammatory conditions, medical intervention might not be necessary.

A side of RICE

RICE serves as a mnemonic to help you treat soft tissue inflammatory problems.

Rest

Stop any activity that causes or increases your elbow pain. Repeating the motions that create inflammation also prevents natural healing.

Ice

Cold compresses and ice packs, applied in 15-minute sessions several times daily, can reduce swelling and ease pain symptoms. A day or two after symptoms emerge, you can alternate cold and hot therapy to stay comfortable.

Compression

Wrapping your elbow in an elastic bandage can help to reduce inflammation. As well as adding support, you’ll be more aware of your joint and less likely to use it when forgetting about your injury.

Elevation

If it’s comfortable to do so, raise your arm above the level of your heart when resting. This encourages fluid drainage and promotes healing by speeding some of your natural healing mechanisms.

When to seek medical attention for elbow pain

Traumatic injuries are more likely to require medical attention if only to confirm there’s no severe damage to the joint.

Traumatic injuries include:

Dislocations: where the bones of the elbow joint get knocked out of their usual relationship
Fractures: breaks, compression, or cracks in any of the bones that make up the elbow
Sprains: ligaments of the elbow are stretched, partially or completely torn
Strains: muscles and/or tendons of the elbow become stretched or torn

Other causes that require doctor visits include damage to the ulnar nerve and joint infections.

When elbow pain persists, contact Michael J. Bercik Jr., MD, at his nearest office, by phone or online, to schedule your consultation today.