Physical Therapy Can Help You Get Rid of Elbow Pain
Have you been unable to lift or reach since injuring your elbow? Do you have pain in your elbow(s) that you can’t seem to get rid of on your own? Is your pain interfering with your enjoyment of life and making routine tasks more difficult to complete? Our physical therapists at Aspen Rehabilitation in Coral Springs, FL can assist you in finding elbow pain relief.
We understand how pain in your elbows can affect your entire life, and more importantly, we can help you resolve your pain and find relief!
What are the most common causes for elbow pain?
There are numerous reasons why you may be experiencing elbow pain. Regardless of the circumstances surrounding the injury, these injuries should be evaluated by a physical therapist to ensure a speedy recovery and no long-term damage.
Some of the most common causes of elbow pain are as follows:
Elbow Sprain / Strain
Sprains and strains are frequently mixed up! Sprains occur when a ligament is stretched or torn, whereas strains happen when a muscle or tendon is stretched or torn.
Elbow sprains and strains are common. Unexpected tissue overstretching can result in a tear, swelling, pain, and difficulty moving.
Ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) sprain
Throwing can cause the ligaments on the inner side of your elbow to stretch or tear. Injuries to the UCL account for 10% of all injuries in professional baseball and can devastate a player’s career.
Little Leaguer’s Elbow (aka medial apophysitis)
This is one of the most common overuse injuries in adolescent baseball/softball players. Young athletes are skeletally immature , and the effects of repetitive overhand throwing inflame the inner elbow growth plate.
The pain is usually felt while throwing or shortly afterward. The pain usually worsens as the number of innings pitched or games played increases. Motion loss can occur in either the bent or extended position in severe cases.
Some athletes may sustain an avulsion fracture if they are not treated (i.e., a small chunk of bone attached to a tendon or ligament gets pulled away from the main part of the bone).
Tendonopathy
Tendonopathy is a medical term that refers to any problem with a tendon, such as a disease, injury, or disorder. The following are the most common tendon injuries:
- Tendinitis: Tendinitis is defined as tendon inflammation. Acute injuries, such as minor or partial tearing, can cause an inflammatory response and pain, especially if the affected area is moved.
The rate at which this condition heals is one way to identify it. These kinds of injuries heal quickly because they progress from inflammation to tissue repair.
- Tendinosis: Tendinosis describes a dysfunctional tendon without elaborating on the pathological process. It is commonly used to describe overuse conditions. According to recent research, most overuse tendon pathologies lack inflammatory cells.
It is important to note that overuse tendon disorders frequently take a long time and are a slow process to heal. In some cases, treating degenerative collagen with anti-inflammatory medications like corticosteroid injections or oral medications can impede healing!
Tennis elbow
Tennis elbow may be caused by tendonitis or tendonosis. Tendinitis occurs when the tendons of the outer elbow (lateral epicondyle) become inflamed. If it is caused by repetitive tasks, it is more likely tendonitis, which does not respond to anti-inflammatory medication.
Tennis elbow is commonly associated with tasks such as holding a tennis racket, a paintbrush, or a hammer. Tenderness will be severe around the outside of your elbow, causing pain when gripping, lifting, or twisting your forearm.
Golfer’s elbow
Medial (inside) epicondylitis, also known as “golfer’s elbow,” is a condition that is similar to tennis elbow except that the pain is on the inside of the elbow. This injury is commonly caused by overuse of the muscles that flex your wrist and fingers and can be classified as tendinitis or tendonosis depending on whether there is inflammation in the tendons surrounding the inner aspect of the elbow.
Nerve injuries
Several nerves run from the upper arm to the forearm and hand via the elbow. Nerve injuries can occur in the ulnar, radial, median, medial antebrachial cutaneous, and lateral antebrachial cutaneous nerves.
Traction and compression are the most common nerve injuries, particularly in athletes who place forceful, repetitive stresses across their elbow joint.
Numbness, tingling, or temperature loss are common symptoms of nerve injuries. Overuse nerve injuries are accompanied by swelling, which reduces the nerve’s ability to function correctly. In severe nerve injuries, muscle function is disrupted, and paralysis can occur.
Elbow fractures (Olecranon)
The most common cause of upper extremity fractures, including elbow fractures, is falls. This is because the natural reaction when falling is to try to catch yourself and lead with the arm to absorb the fall.
Immobilization is frequently required to allow the bones to heal, which can result in stiffness, weakness, and persistent pain. Fortunately, our physical therapists at Aspen Rehabilitation have extensive experience helping people of all ages regain function following a fracture and immobilization!
Make an appointment with one of our Aspen Rehabilitation physical therapists today. We will determine the source of your pain and recommend treatment options for immediate and long-term relief!
Are you looking for elbow pain relief?
Physical therapy is particularly effective at alleviating elbow pain. Aspen Rehabilitation employs hands-on treatment to alleviate pain, improve circulation, and restore range of motion. Our therapy programs can also help you improve your strength, nerve function, and ability to use your elbow to its fullest. Physical therapy can also assist in reducing or eliminating the need for expensive medications and invasive surgical procedures.
Our physical therapists are experts at treating elbow pain and injuries, and they will determine the cause and provide immediate relief!
We provide cutting-edge treatment options to help you relieve pain, increase range of motion, regain strength, and return to daily activities.
Your Aspen Rehabilitation physical therapist will assess your condition and take a thorough history to determine the underlying causes of your situation and any other factors that may contribute to your rehabilitation goals during your appointments.
Following that, your therapist will design a personalized treatment plan that includes exercises to relieve your pain, improve your motion and strength, and restore your function to normal.
Every treatment is unique because every patient is unique! Your therapist will send you home with exercises to help you manage your discomfort while you heal. These exercises will also allow you to keep moving forward outside the clinic.
Make an appointment today to get relief from elbow pain and discomfort!
We’d be happy to schedule you an appointment at our Coral Springs, FL physical therapy facility. We’re thrilled to help you reclaim the active, healthy lifestyle you deserve!