The most common type of elbow pain is known as, 'Tennis Elbow' occurring on the outside of the elbow where the tendons that assist with grip strength attach to the bone. 'Golfers Elbow' is a less common but similar injury that occurs on the inside of the elbow. Overuse of the elbow joint causes low grade tendon damage, or tendinopathy and can include small tears to form in the soft tissue of the tendon, particularly where the tendon anchors to bone. These injuries can also occur as a result of a variety of sports and occupations.
If the pain occurs over a long period of time, they can cause pain and also reduced movement of the elbow joint. Depending on the location and severity of the injury, full recovery can take months and requires the correct diagnosis and a structured physiotherapy plan. Investigations can now be carried out to view the tendon and determine if any medical intervention is needed. We tend to not use cortisone for these injuries as the tendon does not actually have inflammation cells inside of it despite previous theories. Modern day management of tendons is very specific.
If you have pain with daily tasks our Physiotherapists can show you different ways to use your elbow and arm that is correct and take the load out of the tendon your are damaging without realizing! If your sport is contributing to your elbow pain then this can also be assessed and recommendations to improve technique and exercises to strengthen may help.
Symptoms
Some of the symptoms of elbow pain include:
A range of causes
Some of the many conditions and events that may contribute to elbow injuries
include:
If you need to see a Physiotherapist for an elbow injury, call us on 9783 9990 or book online.