Elbow pain – how to treat elbow pain? Diagnostic methods

Elbow pain is such a common problem that every person experiences it at least once in their life. The causes of such pain are very diverse, so to determine them it is impossible to do without medical help. Only a qualified specialist will prescribe the necessary studies, the results of which will help establish an accurate diagnosis.

Injuries

If the elbow joint hurts when pressed, you need to check for bruises, dislocations and sprains. Acute sensations may not appear immediately after the injury, but after 1-3 days. You can injure your hand at home, during training, or through excessive physical activity. Often, such a symptom is accompanied by swelling, a feeling of heat at the site of injury, difficulty in flexion and extension, and discomfort in the entire arm. Elbow pain that persists for more than 2 days, or even worsens, is a reason to immediately consult a doctor.

Preventive measures

In order for the compression of the fingers to occur normally, the training to not cause discomfort, and for the elbow to not go numb when bending, it is necessary to promptly eliminate all those factors that can provoke the pathological condition. Prevention plays a huge role here. It provides for the implementation of the following rules:

Athletes or people performing complex work are required to perform daily therapeutic exercises to flex and extend the joint.
You should not lean on your elbow for a long time while working at the computer or reading books. This provokes cubital tunnel syndrome.
It's important to eat right.

It is advisable to prevent any injury to the elbow joint.
You should avoid hypothermia and visit saunas or steam baths.
Provide quick and effective treatment of all inflammatory and infectious processes in the body.
If you feel numbness in your hand, you should urgently consult a neurologist.

Be that as it may, if an elbow hurts, a person cannot fully work or rest. It is advisable to avoid all those factors that can provoke such a pathological condition. An active and healthy lifestyle is the main method of preventing the disease.

Pavel Valerievich Evdokimenko, a rheumatologist and psychophysiologist, academician of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, provides useful information about performing gymnastics:

Osteoarthritis and osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is a disease of the joint with the destruction of cartilage and its other structures, as a result of which a person’s arms hurt in the elbow joints, inflammation appears and functions are impaired. A characteristic sign of osteoarthritis is marginal bone growths - osteophytes. Osteoarthritis is a disease without a pronounced inflammatory nature, caused primarily by wear and tear of the joint due to age-related changes, injuries or stress. In modern medicine, they have come to the conclusion that any process of destruction of joint tissue causes inflammation, so today these concepts, osteoarthritis and osteoarthritis, have become synonymous. With osteoarthritis, the elbow hurts with exertion. The destruction processes in this case develop due to the thinning of the cartilage inside the joint, which leads to a change in the structure of the ligaments and bones. In a relaxed state, the hand does not cause discomfort, but with strong pressure or other loads, for example, lifting a heavy bag, pain and burning appear. Without treatment, the disease can spread to other joints, worsening a person's overall well-being and quality of life. Unlike osteoarthritis (or osteoarthritis), arthritis of the elbow joint is a disease accompanied by a pronounced inflammatory process. Arthritis is manifested by severe swelling and local fever. Progressive arthritis of the elbow joint reduces the mobility of the limb and significantly reduces the amplitude of possible movements. Without proper treatment, the risk of joint contracture increases, a complication in which the arm is forced to be fixed in one position.

Prevention of elbow pain

The health of the joints plays an important role because it has a direct impact on a person’s quality of life. Restriction in their movements and pain symptoms do not allow them to perform usual actions and reduce it. Preventive measures are as follows:

A diet containing essential vitamins, microelements and substances beneficial to the body;
The use of orthoses for intense loads on the joint;
Performing exercises to strengthen ligaments and muscles;
Elimination of hypothermia;
Timely seeking professional medical help in case of loss of sensitivity and limited movement.

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Epicondylitis

If your arm hurts on the inside or outside of the elbows, epicondylitis can be suspected. It is also called the disease of tennis players and golfers: the destruction process affects the elbow joint, the surrounding tissues and muscles of the forearm - right or left, and extremely rarely - both. Ordinary movements are easy, but with monotonous exercises or increased loads, or performing rotational movements, a nagging pain in the elbow joint appears. Patients with epicondylitis react acutely to flexion and extension of the elbow, wrist and clenching of the hand into a fist. Permanent microdamage to the elbow joint leads to inflammation, impaired blood flow, scarring and muscle spasms. The disease especially often worries people over 40 years of age, whose profession involves constant “work with their hands” - athletes, machinists, drivers and even office workers.

Treatment

If the patient cannot clench his hand into a fist, his elbow begins to crack when moving, and a lump has appeared on the side (left or right) that hurts greatly, then he should not delay treatment.

Drug treatment

Depending on what pathology provoked the pathological condition, the person is prescribed the following medications:

NSAIDs in tablet form or steroid injections: Colchicine. They can eliminate pain and reduce the intensity of the inflammatory process. If a patient’s elbow is very painful due to gout, then he is additionally prescribed the diuretic Allopurinol.
Chondroprotectors: “Arthra”, “Chondroitin”. They are used to treat damage to the cartilage tissue of joints.

The drug "Chondroitin" can be bought in pharmacies from 480 rubles, and treatment with "Arthra" tablets will cost about 2000 rubles

B vitamins: Milgamma. They help fight neurological causes of pain.
Local warming and pain-relieving ointments: Voltaren, Fastum-gel.
Antibacterial drugs to eliminate signs of purulent arthritis and bursitis. They are prescribed to the patient in the form of injections.
Vasodilator medications that help restore blood circulation in the joint.
Muscle relaxants to eliminate muscle spasms.

Drug therapy is only part of a comprehensive treatment. It is complemented by other ways and methods of combating pathology.

Non-drug treatment of pain syndrome

If bending the arm and clenching a fist is difficult for the patient, the elbow begins to crunch, hurts a lot and even goes numb, the following methods can be used to restore the functionality of the joint:

Reducing the load on the left or right elbow joint using orthopedic devices: orthoses, bandages.
Physiotherapeutic procedures: UHF, electrophoresis with dimexide, laser and magnetic therapy, mud or paraffin applications, ozokerite.
Aspiration of joint fluid, as well as drainage of the synovial bursa (if fluid accumulates inside it).

You can clearly see how the drainage procedure works in this video:

Shock wave therapy.
Professional massage using medicinal ointment.
Physical therapy, manual therapy, and x-ray treatment.
Simple therapeutic exercises.

In the most extreme cases, elbow pain can be treated with surgery. It involves replacing bone damaged by injury and eliminating its fragments. If the elbow hurts severely, the patient will be advised to go to bed. The joint may be encased in plaster at that time. Despite the fact that some dystrophic diseases cannot be completely cured, the fight against them must be continued.

Elbow pain: treatment with folk remedies

Despite the fact that the pain is localized in the inner part of the joint, on the side or on top, it must be treated in any case. To do this, in combination with other methods of therapy, you can use folk remedies. If clenching a fist or bending your arm is difficult, the following recipes will be useful:

Fresh cabbage or burdock leaves will help eliminate swelling. They need to be beaten a little with a hammer and tied to the affected elbow overnight. The sore elbow should be treated in this way until the discomfort subsides.
The skin around the affected joint can be smeared and rubbed with alcoholic tinctures of mustard, honey or turpentine. In some cases, the patient may have a burning sensation. If it is strongly expressed, then it is better to refuse to use such means.
Application with clay will help eliminate pain and numbness in the elbow. The raw material must be heated to 45 degrees, treat the joint with vodka, and then apply gauze and a layer of clay (1 cm) on it. To improve the effect, the compress should be wrapped in a woolen cloth. It lasts only an hour, however, several such procedures will help improve fist clenching and get rid of pain. Perhaps your hand will stop going numb.

Compress with warm sea salt. Its temperature should be 65 degrees.
Laurel oil has a warming effect. You need to smear it on the skin directly above the affected joint.
If your elbow hurts, a folk remedy such as fresh celery juice, which can be rubbed into the joint or taken orally, will help overcome the discomfort. Treatment is carried out over 14 days.

Folk remedies, as well as drugs, cannot completely cure systemic or degenerative diseases of the musculoskeletal system. However, they help to significantly improve the patient’s life.

Elena Malysheva gives excellent advice on what to do for bruises in the area of interest to us:

Bursitis

Pain when bending and straightening the arm can also signal bursitis. When a joint is damaged, the cells of the synovial membrane actively produce fluid that accumulates inside the joint capsule. As a result, a characteristic lump or swelling usually forms on the outer side of the elbow, and the process of its enlargement is accompanied by pain, a local increase in temperature and redness of the skin. Acute bursitis is characterized by severe pain and limited range of motion. In the chronic form, a moderate burning sensation is felt, the elbow seems thickened. In some cases, bursitis leads to complications - a purulent process. To determine the specific type of disease, a puncture may be prescribed.

Methods of pain relief

First aid can be provided to yourself immediately, especially if acute pain occurs:

eliminating any physical activity;
fixing the injured elbow in one, half-bent position (a scarf will help);
ensuring rest of the injured limb;
for swelling, a cold compress will help (put ice in a bag, wet a towel or take a bottle of chilled liquid), apply periodically for 10-15 minutes, then wait half an hour;
Painkillers will help eliminate pain: ointments (Traumel S, heparin ointment or Lyoton-gel);
if the pain is unbearable, then painkillers Ibuprofen, Analgin or Nise will help.

Osteochondritis dissecans

Osteochondritis dissecans is the death of a part of the bone, in this case in the elbow joint, in the area of the articular cartilage. With this pathology, cartilage tissue and a fragment of adjacent bone are separated and displaced into the joint cavity, causing pain - moderate and intensifying with movement. In later stages, symptoms such as “jamming” of the joint, a reduction in the range of motion, and chronic synovitis—inflammation of the joint membrane—are observed. The disease develops due to a local disturbance of blood flow in the elbow joint, most often occurring in men under the age of 30. Separately, it is worth noting such a dangerous symptom as a burning sensation in the shoulder or elbow of the left arm, associated with chest pain, decreased blood pressure and rapid pulse. Such signs may indicate the onset of a myocardial infarction, so if they are detected, you must urgently call an ambulance.

What to do at home if your shoulder hurts

If you suddenly experience severe pain, you must first of all calm down and make the right decision: seek medical help.

You should know: any acute diseases, including those accompanied by severe pain, are easier to treat and are often completely cured. Therefore, the sooner you see a doctor, the more favorable the outcome of the disease will be.

But there are situations in life when it is not possible to immediately visit a doctor. What to do if shoulder pain does not improve? The advice is still the same: consult a doctor, he will help even in advanced conditions: he will relieve pain and stop the progression of the disease.

How to help yourself

The pain can be very severe and then the question arises, how to help yourself, how to survive this condition and get to a specialist? You can call an ambulance or help yourself:

Take painkillers:
Paracetamol (Panadon, Efferalgan)
is also an effective drug in sufficient dosage; To eliminate pain, take 1 tablet of 500 mg; There are practically no contraindications;
Ibuklin
is a combination drug; 1 tablet for adults contains 400 mg of ibuprofen and 325 mg of paracetamol; It acts quickly and effectively, but has the same contraindications as Ibuprofen.
Use external agents - gels, ointments. They can relieve pain well, especially in combination with painkillers or injections:
Ketoprofen gel (Artrum, Bystrumgel)
- after application to the skin, the ointment for shoulder pain is quickly absorbed and has an analgesic effect;
Menovazin
is an alcohol combination solution that contains painkillers and sedatives.

Carrying out pain relief on your own is a necessary measure and it does not in any way cancel a visit to the doctor!

Exercise can help too. Training is carried out after the acute pain has been eliminated. Regular exercise helps improve blood circulation and metabolism in affected tissues, and prevents the development of irreversible changes that block the motor activity of the hand.

Basic training requirements:

regularity – classes should be held daily;
lack of heavy physical activity and sudden movements;
all exercises must be performed smoothly;
if there is a sharp increase in pain, stop training; exercises are continued after the intensity of the pain syndrome has decreased with lower loads, increasing them very gradually.

Several exercises designed specifically for patients with glenohumeral pain syndrome:

Starting position (IP) – lying on your back, arms along the body, palms up, legs slightly apart. Inhale: raise your hands and place them behind your head; exhale: smooth return to IP.
IP - lying on your back, arms outstretched to the sides. Inhale: without lifting your hands from the surface, make a sliding upward movement. Exhale - return to IP. Repeat the exercise moving down and back.
IP - lying on your stomach, arms extended forward, legs spread. Inhale: raise your right arm and left leg, exhale - move to IP. Repeat the exercise with your left arm and right leg.

Exercises for shoulder pain

What not to do

In case of chronic pain syndrome in the glenohumeral region, the following is contraindicated:

some hand movements - which ones are determined by the doctor after clinical tests and additional examinations; it all depends on which structures are affected;
any sudden hand movements and heavy lifting;
frequent smoking and alcohol abuse - has a negative effect on blood circulation and metabolism, which aggravates the problems;
self-medication - the result will be impaired hand function and increased pain; treatment must be carried out at a professional level.

When you need to see a doctor urgently

A doctor’s consultation is required if there is pain in the glenohumeral region:

appeared immediately or some time after the injury; they intensify when the hand moves in a certain direction;
the shoulder hurt against the background of existing chronic arthritis affecting other joints;
accompanied by fever, redness, swelling and pain in the shoulder area;
appeared against the background of cervical osteochondrosis with painful lumbago in the neck, extending to the glenohumeral region;
discomfort, crunching when moving and occasional minor pain have been bothering me for more than 3 months.

Self-medication for such diseases almost always ends in the development of persistent pain and impaired movement in the hand. You will be provided with qualified assistance at the Moscow Medical Center.

Diagnosis of pain

For elbow pain, diagnosis begins with a consultation. The doctor conducts a survey to find out whether the patient has had any past or recent injuries, surgeries or treatments, and whether there are any hereditary factors that may affect the current condition of the joints. Next, the joint site is examined and felt (palpation), joint mobility and reaction to various positions of the limb are assessed. Most likely, to make a diagnosis you will have to visit several doctors - a surgeon, osteopath, neurologist, as well as a rheumatologist if you suspect rheumatoid arthritis - an autoimmune disease of the joints. A visit to a traumatologist may be required if there are injuries, dislocations, or sprains.

Since pain accompanies many diseases, the examination must exclude tumors and infections. Standard laboratory tests include blood and urine tests, as well as blood biochemistry. This list can be supplemented by tests prescribed by specialists: taking a sample of synovial fluid, tests for rheumatoid factor, C-reactive protein, etc. A comprehensive examination is necessary to timely and accurately determine the cause of the elbow joint disease.

In addition to examination, consultations and tests, diagnostics include:

ultrasound examination - allows you to see damage to the structure of the joint, signs of inflammation, fluid accumulation, pathological changes in cartilage;
radiography - shows the condition of the bones that form the joint, reveals bone growths, calcium deposits, deviations in the size of the joint space;
computed tomography - helps to see all pathological, inflammatory and destructive changes in bone tissue;
magnetic resonance imaging - reveals degenerative processes, tumors, injuries, foci of infections and inflammations.

Based on the diagnostic results, treatment is prescribed that eliminates the cause of elbow pain and alleviates the patient’s condition.

How to relieve pain

The disease must be treated after consultation with a doctor. Before visiting a medical facility, the patient can be given first aid.

To eliminate pain, you must:

Remove the load from the sore arm by immobilizing it. A cold compress should be applied to the joint. If swelling occurs on the elbow, this manipulation will reduce the swelling.
Severe pain is eliminated using the following painkillers: Ibuprofen, Voltaren. You can use ointments with an anesthetic effect.