Elbow Injuries
Elbow Anatomy
The elbow is a complicated joint where three bones meet: the humerus, radius, and ulna. These bones, the humerus, radius, and ulna, have articular cartilage covering the surfaces that come into contact during movement.
This thin, smooth, and flexible cartilage acts as a shock absorber, reducing friction between the bones during movement. Ligaments, tendons, muscles, nerves, and blood vessels are there to support the bones of the elbow.
The main function of the elbow joint is to flex or extend the arm to an angle of 180 degrees, and to carry or move things.
Types of Elbow Injuries
Typical cases of elbow injuries may include:
- Elbow fractures: Any break in the elbow bone is called a fracture, and it is one of the most common injuries at the elbow. One may get an elbow fracture when a person falls on their outstretched wrist, or gets a direct blow to the elbow, or is twisted. A fracture causes severe pain, swelling, and limited movement. If your doctor suspects a fracture, you should be treated without delay. In case of a bony displacement, surgery is mostly necessary.
- Tennis elbow/golfer’s elbow: An inflammation of the muscles on the outer side of the elbow is called tennis elbow, while golfer’s elbow is based on the inner side of the elbow. Tennis elbow or golfer’s elbow may develop because of overusing your arm or hitting your hand traumatically. The pain and tenderness arising from the injured muscles are so severe that they may extend down to the forearm, and it is especially the use of the hand and wrist that triggers the pain.
Resting the affected area and ensuring adequate sleep helps the muscles heal. A tennis elbow brace may give relief by lessening the load on the muscle attachment. A doctor may suggest the use of pain medicine to help get rid of pain and inflammation. It may be helpful to apply heat first, do a few stretches, work on your muscle strength, and lastly, ice massage. - Tendonitis: Tendonitis means the tendons in the wrist become inflamed. Usually, the treatment involves the patient taking sufficient rest, wearing a splint, using ice, and taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to lessen the inflammation.
If you experience persistent pain, swelling, bruising, numbness, tingling, or abnormal elbow positioning lasting more than a few days, seek medical evaluation. Early diagnosis and treatment help prevent complications and promote faster recovery.
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