The Most Common Causes of Elbow Pain and Why Conventional Treatments Often Fail

Elbow pain can be particularly disabling because we rely on our arms for all the activities of daily life, like childcare, driving, and working on a computer. Below is a list of the most common causes of elbow pain. Conventional treatments for chronic elbow pain frequently fail the patient. Read on to learn why… and what you can try instead for safer, longer-lasting pain relief.

Sometimes just one incident can cause elbow pain for weeks, months, or even years. Common elbow traumas include:

• Dislocation – usually quite painful and happens when one of the bones in the elbow joint is knocked out of place, such as after a fall
• Fracture – a break in one of the bones that form the elbow joint, resulting in deformity, pain, and loss of motion
• Sprain – stretched or torn ligament, common in athletics
• Strain – stretched or torn muscle, which occurs in both sports and everyday activities when you overdo it

Serious elbow trauma that causes extreme pain, bone deformity, or inability to use your arm should be seen in the emergency room.

It’s not unusual for an old injury, like one you got decades ago playing football, to cause elbow pain today, particularly after overuse or changes in the weather.

There are many kinds of arthritis, but osteoarthritis, which gets worse with aging and its associated loss of joint cushioning, and rheumatoid arthritis are two of the most common. Arthritis (joint inflammation and degeneration) often overlaps with autoimmune conditions like lupus and Sjögren’s syndrome.

Stress fractures are tiny cracks in your bones that develop over time. Usually, they accompany overuse (see below), but they can also be caused by osteoporosis, which is the weakening of the bone to the point where it becomes porous and brittle. Contributors to osteoporosis include:

• Lack of bone mass developed during youth
• A sedentary lifestyle
• A small body frame
• Being female (accelerated with menopause and estrogen changes)
• Reduced testosterone in men
• Aging
• Family history
• Being of white or Asian descent
• Thyroid disease
• Low calcium intake
• Malabsorption of nutrients (including weight-loss surgery and eating disorders)
• Long-term steroid use
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Overconsumption of alcohol
• Smoking

One of the causes of elbow pain we see most frequently here at Core Medical & Wellness is overuse of the joint through heavy workouts, manual labor, or other repetitive activities. Three of the most common wear-and-tear problems we treat are:

• Bursitis – inflammation of the olecranon bursa, which is a fluid-filled sac that facilitates smooth movement of the elbow joint
• Tendinopathy/tendinosis – also known as tennis elbow or golfer’s elbow, it is damage to the tendons around the elbow (tendons connect muscle to bone)
• Trapped nerves – cubital tunnel syndrome, similar to carpal tunnel syndrome in the wrist

Overuse and repetitive use injuries of the elbow can be exacerbated by poor ergonomics, such as not having the proper computer setup at work or factory machinery that causes you to reach or pull in an uncomfortable way. Poor form in athletics can also contribute to this type of elbow pain.

Once they get past the heat or ice stage and still have elbow pain, most folks head to their doctor for more serious treatment. Depending on the cause of the elbow pain, the following treatments may be recommended:

1. Improving work ergonomics
2. Physical therapy
3. Working with a coach to modify one’s athletic form
4. Acupuncture
5. Massage therapy
6. Over-the-counter medications like NSAIDs such as ibuprofen or naproxen
7. Prescription pain drugs
8. Cortisone injections
9. Surgery

While we agree that the first three treatments are often appropriate and can fix some elbow issues, the other therapies are likely to fall short of long-term relief or put you at greater health risk.

Acupuncture and massage therapy can make you feel better temporarily, but they need to be repeated often for lasting help with elbow pain.

Both OTC medications and their prescription counterparts mask pain but don’t cure it. They also carry a long list of dangerous side effects, including gastric upset, constipation, high blood pressure, increased risk of cardiovascular events, sedation, and potential for addiction.

Cortisone injections may be okay for mid-term relief while you undergo physical therapy, for example. However, they can’t be given repeatedly without risk to the body’s tissue.

Surgery also has many downsides, such as:

• Expense
• Downtime for recovery
• Reaction to anesthesia
• Risk of infection (surgical site and other infections acquired in the hospital)
• Potential for blood clots and pulmonary embolisms
• Possible nerve damage
• No guarantee that the operation will be a success