Pain when extending the elbow is a symptom that is very rare in isolation. The problem most often occurs in people who engage in extensive sports or perform the same type of hand movements (playing golf, tennis, working on a computer). Discomfort in this joint often appears both during flexion and extension of the elbow joint. Specialists at the Shifa clinic carry out a differential diagnosis of this condition, establish a final diagnosis and select the optimal and safe method of treatment.
What is the severity of pain when extending the elbow?
Depending on the individual characteristics of the patient, the severity of pain that occurs during hand movements varies widely. Discomfort when extending the arm is episodic. At rest, a person may not feel pain.
The cause of pain during joint extension is either local inflammation or compression of the nerve endings that pass in close proximity. The nature of the pain syndrome depends on the type of pathological process that causes it.
Traumatic injuries are accompanied by severe pain, which can be easily relieved with strong analgesics, incl. narcotic. Osteoarthritis or bursitis of the elbow leads to aching sensations that are constantly disturbing and only intensify when the joint is straightened. Tunnel syndrome with compression of the ulnar nerve is also accompanied by aching pain, which is combined with decreased sensitivity of the skin on the 4th-5th fingers.
How to exercise to avoid muscle pain?
To prevent painful sensations from causing discomfort, a well-chosen load and control of the exercise technique, as well as compliance with the drinking regime, are necessary.
Warm-up and cool-down
A proper warm-up will warm up the muscles, make them more elastic, and thereby prevent excess microtrauma and, especially, injury. Spend 5-10 minutes doing low-intensity exercise and moving your limbs and body in different directions. For example, light running (can be done on the spot), walking with knee lifts and heel overlapping, arm lifts in different directions, body tilts, pelvic rotations.
First technique - then weights
First, practice the correct exercise technique with little or no weights, and only then take on serious weight. If you don’t understand how to do an exercise correctly (this often applies to new, unfamiliar exercise equipment), look for someone who will show you, or replace it with a familiar movement.
Drinking regime
We lose minerals and water through sweat during exercise. Their lack leads to a deterioration in the conduction of nerve impulses. The consequences are increased fatigue, overtraining and even injury. Drink still water or special sports drinks as soon as you experience a feeling of dry mouth.
How common is pain when extending the elbow?
Pain syndrome that occurs against the background of extension (extension) in the elbow joint is a symptom that can appear in both women and men. In the population, its frequency of occurrence does not exceed 10%. However, there are categories of people who are most susceptible to pain in the elbow joint during extension.
The risk group includes:
- athletes (tennis players, golfers and others). Due to chronic overload of the joint, its internal structures are damaged;
- people performing the same type of hand movements (primarily programmers).
However, regardless of whether you are at risk or not, it is important to promptly establish a causal diagnosis and begin treatment to prevent the progression of the pathological condition. Doctors at the Shifa clinic will quickly carry out differential diagnostics and select targeted treatment.
How to reduce pain?
Perhaps our article is late, and your muscles are already burning, and your arms cannot be straightened. If you are sure that it is due to overuse and there is no injury, you can try the following ways to reduce pain.
Water treatments
A contrast shower, warm bath, hydromassage or swimming pool effectively relieves swelling of the muscles and improves their mobility. However, you should not overheat, because hot water or a sauna will increase inflammation, the synthesis of leukocytes and, as a result, swelling will increase. You can use an infrared sauna, which does not heat much and has an anti-inflammatory effect.
Proper nutrition
A sufficient amount of protein (meat, dairy products, fish) and an abundance of antioxidants (vegetables, fruits) will speed up recovery. You should eat 0.8 - 1.5 g of protein per 1 kg of your weight every day. Vegetables contain the trace element potassium, which reduces swelling by removing excess water from the intercellular space.
Relaxing massage
You can use both manual and hardware relaxing or lymphatic drainage massage. Do not do corrective or anti-cellulite massage if your muscles hurt! During these procedures, the subcutaneous fat tissue is slightly undermined from the muscles, this will only increase the pain.
Pain relief with medications
You can use sports ointments with anti-inflammatory and cooling effects. Do not warm up under any circumstances - the same principle as with water procedures. If the ointment does not help, this is a sign of serious damage. See your doctor for a diagnosis and appropriate treatment with prescription pills or injections.
What diseases can be associated with pain when extending the elbow?
The symptom that occurs with elbow extension appears due to dysfunction of the extensor muscles, which are attached inside the joint capsule. The reasons for this situation may be:
- inflammation of the epicondyles (lateral or medial epicondylitis);
- osteoarthritis;
- isolated inflammatory process;
- compression n. ulnaris (ulnar nerve) bony structures;
- nerve inflammation;
- traumatic damage to the joint;
- inflammation of the fascial bags (diffuse fasciitis);
- oncological pathology.
Based on the diagnostic information received, doctors at the Shifa clinic identify the root cause and select therapy that reliably relieves pain. Improving the quality of life is achieved through a combination of non-drug methods with medications.
Diagnostics
Physical examination includes external examination, palpation, determination of range of motion, neurological tests, as well as special functional tests that assess the function of the elbow joint and the presence of ligamentous instability.
Instrumental diagnostic methods
Radiography. Standard radiographs of the elbow joint are taken - straight, anteroposterior and lateral. X-rays can detect changes in bone tissue (stress fractures) and detect signs of instability.
Bone scanning can detect lesions with excessive metabolic activity (tumor infections), but the specificity of the scan is not high.
Computed tomography (CT) allows one to clearly visualize changes in bone tissue. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) allows you to qualitatively visualize changes in soft tissues and, thus, diagnose the condition of articular cartilage (presence of defects) and ligaments (presence of tears).
Electromyography and nerve conduction studies (ENMG) are necessary to diagnose nerve damage (nerve compression).
Why you can't ignore pain when extending your elbow
Ignoring a symptom can lead to a deterioration in the patient’s well-being. All of the above diseases can cause functional disability of the joint. In the absence of timely therapy, a gradual narrowing of the synovial space is observed with the development of ankylosis - the inability to fully flex or extend the elbow.
Long-term damage to the nerve endings located in the elbow joint leads to a decrease in tactile and temperature sensitivity. In addition, a decrease in microcirculation over time can lead to trophic changes.
Why don't my arms straighten after training?
Beginning athletes need to listen to their body especially carefully. Pain can tell you how correctly you have drawn up your training program and selected weights. Let's look at the main symptoms.
After training, the elbows and hands do not straighten
This indicates that you have overloaded the shoulder flexor - the biceps. “Most often this occurs after an isolated arm workout,” says Yulia Malenchuk, “or after a back workout, when it was not possible to control the technique (for example, you took too much weight) and the biceps took part of the load from the back.”
In any case, severe pain after training is not normal and indicates overtraining. It is necessary to adjust the load downward, and perhaps choose other exercises.
Muscle microtraumas
In principle, microtraumas are normal and even necessary.
“In muscle, like in any other tissue, processes of synthesis (anabolism) and breakdown (catabolism) are constantly ongoing,” explains Yulia Malenchuk. During training under load, the processes of catabolism begin to prevail over synthesis, but during the recovery process, synthesis is more active. This increased anabolism is used by athletes for muscle hypertrophy (muscle building). When any injury occurs, the body begins to heal itself. When the bend of your arm or another trained area hurts after training, this is muscle recovery. It is at this time that new muscle tissue grows, which athletes need. Severe pain indicates that you have overdone the load and there are too many microtraumas.”
Hands are swollen
In the area of microtrauma, blood flow increases and the number of leukocytes increases. As a result, swelling occurs, which, in fact, causes pain due to the fact that it puts pressure on the nerve endings. “In such cases, the muscle may look swollen and inflated,” warns Yulia Malenchuk. If the swelling is not distributed throughout the muscle, but is localized, especially in the joint area, see a traumatologist
Mild dislocation
A similar incident happens when people - out of ignorance or out of conceit - do an exercise with the wrong technique. For example, when bench pressing a barbell, first one arm is straightened, then the other (yes, this happens!). Overload of the joint can result in dislocation or injury to the ligament. Acute pain during or immediately after exercise, or changes in joint mobility are a problem that should promptly consult a doctor. The dislocation will not go back into place on its own; it needs to be straightened or at least properly fixed.
Trembling hands after exercise
Tremor - involuntary muscle contractions - is a rather unpleasant disease associated with fatigue of the nervous system. “During training, not only muscles work, but also the nervous system that controls these muscles,” explains Yulia Malenchuk. “The brain constantly sends nerve impulses that are transmitted along motor neurons to the muscles.” Involuntary muscle contractions as a result of fatigue of the nervous system can be associated with the depletion of neurotransmitters (substances that deliver impulses to the muscle cell) or with a lack of mineral elements that are involved in the conduction of nerve impulses (calcium, sodium, magnesium, etc.).
Numb hands
Another symptom of nervous system fatigue during exercise. “If it persists even the next day, this may indicate a pinched nerve or other neurological problems,” warns Yulia Malenchuk, “visit a therapist or traumatologist.”
Which doctor should you consult for pain when extending your elbow?
Pain in the elbow disrupts the patient’s general well-being and is an “alarm bell” that requires immediate consultation with a doctor. If you have discomfort in your elbow during extension, you may need help from the following specialists:
- neurologist - a specialist assesses the patient’s neurological status;
- rheumatologist - a doctor who deals with autoimmune joint diseases;
- traumatologist - a doctor who specializes in the treatment of traumatic joint injuries.
All of these doctors work at the Shifa clinic. Diagnosis of the causes of pain is carried out using innovative techniques that increase the information content of the examination. After verifying the underlying pathology that led to the appearance of pain in the joint, medical specialists select an individual therapeutic program aimed at eliminating pain, increasing the range of free movements and improving the quality of life.
Universal training tips
When planning to improve your physical fitness by starting exercises and training, it is better not to take them lightly. Most often, with correctly calculated loads, it is possible to achieve your goals quite quickly. If you can’t make the right plan yourself, you can turn to a professional trainer. For a beginner, this is simply a must, so as not to end up with the problems described above.
There are a number of simple tips that you can follow when working out in the gym or at home. This will protect you from risks and give you a chance to quickly achieve results.
Graduality is the key to success
Only by slowly increasing the load can you go all the way from start to finish without problems. On the third day, you shouldn’t strive to do everything like the pumped-up men who have been visiting this place for many years. Start small, otherwise health problems cannot be avoided.
Good warm-up and cool-down
Any workout begins with a good warm-up and ends with a cool-down; this is an immutable law. Only with this approach will you avoid injuries to muscles, ligaments and joints. At the same time, make sure that your warm-ups work exactly the muscles that you will train. Stretching exercises or light jogging are ideal as a cool-down.
Technology is everything to us
Never start an exercise unless you know exactly how to do it. Especially when it comes to complex exercise equipment that you don’t fully understand. Mistakes and missteps can do more than just cause you to fail to make progress. You can get seriously injured, from which you will have to recover for a long time.
Drink plenty of fluids
If you drink little, especially when doing workouts, your blood will become somewhat thicker. This creates additional stress on the heart and blood vessels. Therefore, you need to drink as much as your body requires. There is a lot of material on how and when to drink water during training, which would not hurt to read separately.
Water treatments
If we carefully consider almost all the problems that we have discussed, an interesting fact emerges. A swimming pool and a contrast shower are great for solving almost all of them. It wouldn’t hurt to carry out water procedures of this kind regularly, as they have a general healing effect.
Proper nutrition
Don't forget that the diet should be balanced. This is especially true for those who train hard. If the body does not receive enough of the vitamins and minerals it needs, then it will be much more difficult for the muscles to bear the load. Moreover, improperly organized nutrition can lead to serious complications and the development of diseases.
Relaxing massage
If during training you have any problems with your hands (increased sensitivity, pain, swelling, etc.), a relaxing massage will help. But even those who are fine and have no unpleasant symptoms should pay attention to it. It benefits both professional athletes and green beginners in the gym.
Pain relief with medications
In the most extreme case, when there is no strength to endure the pain, many use painkillers. However, this can only be done according to a doctor’s indications and nothing else. Thoughtless, uncontrolled absorption of medications that you “prescribed” for yourself leads to disastrous consequences. Although for mild symptoms it is quite acceptable to use soothing, relaxing or cooling creams and ointments.
Treatment
Treatment for elbow injuries associated with overuse is a combination of rest, immobilization (wearing a brace), cold compresses, and physical therapy. It is also possible to use NSAIDs in a short course to relieve the inflammatory process.
Surgical treatment is indicated in cases where conservative treatment is not effective or in the presence of intra-articular pathology (for example, ligament rupture), nerve compression, etc. Surgical treatment in most cases is minimally invasive (arthroscopic).
How to alleviate the condition before starting treatment
Self-medication is unacceptable, but sometimes you need to wait a few days before seeing a doctor. And sometimes at this time you also need to work! How to help yourself?
“To alleviate the condition at first, ointments with decongestant and anti-inflammatory substances work great,” says Marina Moreva. “They are sold in pharmacies without a prescription, all these sports rubs.” It is better to use warming ointments with bee venom, snake venom, hot pepper extract with caution: if the skin on the joint is red, the elbow is swollen, it feels hot to the touch, there is a feeling of distension from the inside, you should not warm it - the inflammation may intensify. Skin preparations are applied 3-4 times a day, rubbing in thoroughly.