Causes of Elbow Pain
Elbow Joint
Elbow joint is the joint formed by three bones, the bone in the upper arm called humerus, the inner bone of the forearm called ulna and outer bone of the forearm called radius.
Elbow joint is a hinge joint that allows forward and backward motion of the forearm and also helps the forearm to rotate. The biceps muscle present in the upper arm helps the elbow hinge to flex while the triceps muscle in the upper arm helps the elbow hinge to extend.
The outer portion of the elbow is called lateral epicondyle. Tendons get attached to this area. The inner portion of elbow is called medial epicondyle where the remaining tendons get attached. A fluid sac called bursa overlies the tip portion of the elbow reduces the friction.
Causes of Elbow Pain
Lateral epicondylitis
Lateral epicondylitis is otherwise called tennis elbow and is caused by the repetitive use of the forearm. Here the large tendon that attaches the muscles of the forearm to the elbow gets injured. This causes pain over the outer portion of the elbow and at the same time you can use your elbow with all its range of motion. The pain will be severe towards the end of the day.
Medial Epicondylitis
This is also called golfer’s elbow. Here the tendons attached to the inner portion of the elbow joint get affected. There will pain and tenderness in the inner portion of the elbow. When you twist or strain your forearm it may affect the tendon and the condition may worsen.
Fracture
Any fracture to the bones of the elbow joint cause severe pain and swelling in the area.
Bursitis
Any inflammation in the bursa caused by arthritis, gout etc may cause pain in the elbow. There will be swelling at the tip of the elbow but still you can use your elbow joint for moving the forearm.
Any tear on the ligaments of the elbow joint will also cause pain in the elbow. This can be caused by the severely extending or jamming the elbow.
Other diseases that cause pain in the elbow include infected elbow joint, cellulites, tumors, etc.
