Flexion and extension are two multidirectional movements in the elbow joint that a person performs every day and does not think about it. However, as soon as pain appears, the patient begins to think about whether to bend the elbow or not, and performance and activity are impaired. Often the symptom indicates the presence of an inflammatory process in the joint involving its medial structures. It is difficult to independently determine the cause of the pathological condition. This process must be entrusted to specialists. Traumatologists working at the Shifa clinic will quickly help identify pathology and eliminate its manifestations.
What is the severity of pain when bending the elbow?
Discomfort developing in the area of the elbow joint may indicate local inflammation. Due to the stretching of the joint capsule, the receptors that transmit pain information to the brain are irritated.
Characteristics of the symptom:
- moderate intensity - an exception may be traumatic injuries with a violation of the integrity of soft tissues;
- chronic course - most inflammatory diseases are sluggish with a gradual increase in the clinical picture;
- increased discomfort with physical activity and/or twisting of the arm.
Pain when bending the elbow may spread to nearby tissues. Most often, the patient also indicates discomfort along the muscles on the medial side of the forearm, shoulder, and thumb area. Rest and temporary peace reduce the intensity of discomfort.
How to determine the exact cause
When the arm does not fully extend, it makes sense to consult a doctor for an accurate diagnosis. Along the way, you need to try to remember the circumstances that accompanied the onset of the symptom - and be sure to tell the orthopedist about them at the first appointment.
The patient needs to remember whether he has suffered an injury in the last 2-3 days: perhaps his arm hurts and cannot be straightened precisely because of it. You also need to inform your doctor about previously diagnosed osteochondrosis, increased body temperature, and muscle myositis (if they have been diagnosed).
What diseases may be associated with pain when bending the elbow?
About 70% of cases of elbow pain when bending are associated with chronic inflammatory diseases of the musculoskeletal system. Arthritis, arthrosis (degenerative disease) most often cause discomfort when bending the elbow joint.
Other causes of the symptom in question are:
- systemic connective tissue diseases with damage to peripheral joints;
- injuries, sprains, cuts;
- pathology of the cervical spine with compression of the roots that innervate the upper limbs;
- congenital connective tissue dysplasia with dysfunction of the elbow joint.
Traumatologists and orthopedists at the Shifa clinic diagnose and treat pathologies accompanied by pain in the elbow when bending. Extensive practical experience, the use of modern treatment methods and an individual approach to the treatment of each patient help make recovery faster and more effective.
The main causes of severe symptoms
With an injury to the elbow joint, the situation is mostly clear.
But often the cause of pain and the inability to make habitual movements is pinched nerves in the spine. Sometimes the condition indicates the onset of complex degenerative diseases or is a consequence of past infections. Let us note the most common circumstances in which the arm at the elbow does not extend:
- Salt accumulations appear on the surface of the joints.
- An inflammatory lesion is observed.
- Bursitis is pronounced - inflammation of the superficial mucous membrane of the olecranon bursa.
- Sprained ligaments and tendons.
- Fractures and microcracks resulting from trauma.
- Atrophy of muscle fibers is observed.
- Osteochondrosis in the cervical region or spinal stroke, which leads to paralysis of areas of muscle fibers.
Often the arm does not extend at the elbow joint as a result of tendovaginitis - they are called professional injuries of many athletes, in particular tennis players. However, any prolonged “hand work” can lead to them: seamstresses, packers, storekeepers and other specialists. The symptom is also characteristic of carpal tunnel syndrome and may appear as a contracture resulting from injury.
Why you shouldn't ignore pain when bending your elbow
Ignoring any disease leads to further progression. Pain when bending the elbow is no exception. The pathology that provokes the symptom can last for years. Many patients tend to endure discomfort, limiting their full range of movements. However, this gradually leads to loss of functional activity of the elbow with wasting of the corresponding muscles.
Secondary joint deformation in such situations is rare. The prognosis for the patient if adequate therapy is selected is favorable. Therefore, specialists at the Shifa clinic recommend not delaying treatment and seeking help as early as possible.
Why you shouldn't self-medicate
We have already said that loss of mobility of the elbow joint can be a consequence of dangerous conditions: pain in this area can be caused by disorders in the spine and even the brain.
A situation in which a patient buys a “universal” ointment advertised on TV and tries to relieve pain with it is fraught with aggravation of the condition. During self-treatment, the acute inflammatory process and disturbances in the passage of nerve impulses may intensify. And if at the initial stage they can be eliminated by methods of manual therapy and drug treatment, then in an advanced situation surgical intervention will most likely be required.
Which doctor should I see?
Pain when bending the elbow is a problem that is usually dealt with by traumatologists and orthopedists. However, other specialists are also involved. Family doctors or local therapists carry out the initial diagnosis of diseases that cause discomfort.
In cases where the cause of the pathology is osteochondrosis, consultation with a neurologist or vertebrologist is recommended. Doctors help you choose a combination treatment aimed at eliminating both problems with the spine and isolated problems with the joint. If necessary, the patient is referred for consultation to related specialists (cardiologist, endocrinologist).
The Shifa Clinic is a medical center where doctors of all these specialties are admitted. You won't have to wait in long lines. Just call the contact number and make an appointment at a convenient time. Our specialists will do everything necessary to ensure that you live an active, pain-free life!
Prospects for treatment
It is important to understand what exactly is the cause of the condition that has arisen. During the examination, the doctor may prescribe a CT scan and also perform arthroscopy. First of all, you need to make sure that these are not acute inflammations or diseases related to the activity of the spinal cord or brain.
As soon as it is possible to discover the reasons why the arm does not extend, the doctor will tell you what to do to eliminate the pain syndrome and further treatment. Possible methods:
- drug treatment;
- manual therapy;
- massages.
In exceptional cases, surgery may be required. However, most often it is enough to adjust the patient’s lifestyle, massage and take prescribed medications. There are many reasons for damage to the elbow joint and pinched nerves: from injuries and the developing inflammatory process to the consequences of sleeping in the wrong position. And only a doctor can determine them accurately.
What to do if your elbow does not fully extend?
The first thing to do if your elbow does not straighten is to stop trying to force this movement. You should not try to exert mechanical and physical pressure on the elbow joint without the help of a doctor. This is fraught with subsequent injuries and even ruptures of the ligamentous tendon tissue. Keep the limb at rest and consult a specialist.
It is very important to understand why the elbow does not fully extend and, if possible, eliminate this negative influence factor. If it is bursitis, tenosynovitis or arthritis, then the same treatment methods are used. And if the patient has a contracture or scar change in tendon, ligament or muscle tissue, then completely different methods of therapy will need to be used.
Pain in the elbow joint: causes
Due to the peculiarities of the anatomical structure, the human elbow joint is much more often exposed to injuries and stress than, for example, the knee joint. In addition, there are a number of diseases, one of the symptoms of which is pain in the elbow joint. This pathology may be caused by the following conditions:
- arthritis – infections, allergies or autoimmune diseases can cause arthritis. With arthritis, pain occurs in the elbow joint, a tumor forms around the joint, and its original appearance changes;
- arthrosis – pain in the elbow joint in this disease is caused by degenerative processes that occur in the cartilage tissue of the joint. Arthrosis is accompanied by destruction of the anatomical structures of the elbow joint;
- epicondylitis – pain in the elbow joint with epicondylitis is caused by an inflammatory process at the junction of the ligaments and epicondyle of the shoulder bone;
- injury to the elbow joint – pain in the elbow joint can be a consequence of previous fractures, bruises and dislocations;
- bursitis of the elbow joint - the occurrence of pain in this case is associated with an excessive amount of interarticular fluid in the synovial bursa of the joint.
Pain on the inside of the arm
The occurrence of acute pain in the arm on the inside of the elbow in the bend is most often associated with epicondylitis. The development of epicondylitis is caused by physical overload and severe stretching of the tendons. Normal movements are not accompanied by unpleasant sensations in the elbow, but increasing physical activity or frequent repetition of the same movements can lead to weakness and aching pain in the arm.
The risk group for developing this pathology includes people over 40 years of age whose activities require constant stress on their hands. Overexertion of the inner side of the arm causes the development of minor injuries and inflammatory processes, which, in turn, lead to the appearance of spasms, salt deposition, and the growth of scar tissue.
Pain in the elbow joint when flexing and extending
Pain in the elbow joint when flexing and extending may be associated with bursitis. The development of this disease is caused by an excessive amount and change in the composition of the interarticular fluid entering the synovial bursae of the elbow joint.
Bursitis can be acute or chronic. In addition to pain, the patient experiences redness of the skin in the elbow area, swelling, bumps and increased body temperature.
Elbow pain during exercise and heavy lifting
Such pain in the elbow joint may be a consequence of arthrosis. When you move your hand, a characteristic crunching sound occurs, but there is no intense inflammatory process.
The lack of timely treatment for arthrosis threatens its progression, as a result of which normal mobility of the arm is lost, the amplitude of permissible movements decreases, and other joints are affected.
Pain in the elbow joint when clenching a fist
If a patient feels pain when clenching his fist, osteochondrosis of the elbow joint can be suspected. The development of this disease is associated with metabolic disorders, dysfunction of the endocrine glands, old joint injuries, as well as previous surgical interventions on the elbow joint.
In patients with advanced stages of osteochondrosis, elbow deformity is observed, fingers become numb, and limb mobility is impaired.
Aching pain in the elbow joint
The appearance of aching pain in the elbow joint may indicate developing arthritis. The development of such a pathology is associated with frequent injuries to the elbows or hands, as well as ruptures of tendons and ligaments, various infectious diseases and disruption of the body’s immune system. In the absence of timely and proper medical care, patients may experience an increase in the size and density of the elbow and an increase in body temperature. The condition is accompanied by malaise, loss of appetite, development of fever and prolonged headache.
Acute pain in the elbow joint when pressing on the elbow
Acute pain when pressing on the elbow joint often manifests itself as severe injuries in this part of the body. In addition, similar pain in the elbow joint can occur due to bone cracks and rupture of muscles and ligaments. In the absence of the above prerequisites, pain in the elbow joint can be considered referred, initially arising in the spine and affecting the elbow.
This fairly common situation is most often encountered by patients who have been diagnosed with an intervertebral hernia. With this disease, patients' nerve roots are pinched, resulting in unpleasant sensations in the elbow joint. If the pain is reflected, there are no external changes in the joint, its mobility is not impaired.
Elbow pain due to cubital tunnel syndrome
Cubital tunnel syndrome is a neurological condition in which the ulnar nerve becomes compressed in the cubital tunnel. Such a violation is associated with microtrauma of the joints or individual anatomical characteristics of a person. In addition to pain in the elbow area, this syndrome is accompanied by numbness or tingling in the skin surrounding the joint, weakness in the limb, as well as pain spreading to other parts of the body (for example, the shoulder, little finger, ring finger).
If you have at least one of the above symptoms or pain in the elbow joint, you should consult a doctor, under no circumstances self-medicating, which, as a rule, only aggravates the problem.
The elbow does not fully straighten: how to treat?
why the elbow does not straighten completely and, if possible, eliminate this negative factor. If it is bursitis, tenosynovitis or arthritis, one treatment method is used. However, if the patient has a contracture or scar in the tendons, ligaments or muscle tissue, there will be completely different treatment options.
If the elbow does not fully extend, a special examination should be performed before treatment, including an x-ray examination of the joint tissue. If possible, magnetic resonance imaging or computed tomography is performed; in complex diagnostic cases, arthroscopy is indicated. Then the condition of muscle and nerve fibers is assessed. Deforming osteoarthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome, osteochondrosis of the cervical spine and rheumatism are excluded.
For contractual lesions due to injuries and immobilization of the limbs, manual therapy techniques are used, during which a gentle gradual correction of the tissue condition is carried out. Therapeutic massage is recommended, thanks to which therapeutic exercises under the supervision of an experienced instructor are painless and effective.