Causes And Treatments For Elbow Pain Caused By Tendinitis

If you fall on your arm or have an accident that impacts your elbow, you know the cause of your elbow pain. When you have chronic pain, you may have no idea why. That's why seeing a doctor is a good idea. You'll get a diagnosis for your pain, and that's the first step in finding an effective treatment. One common cause of elbow pain is tendinitis. Tendinitis in your elbow might be called golfer's elbow or tennis elbow. Here's what causes this condition and how it's treated.

The Causes Of Elbow Tendinitis

Tendinitis in your elbow is usually caused by repetitive motion that puts strain on the tendon that attaches near your elbow joint. The condition is common in people who play golf and tennis, but you can get elbow tendinitis even if you don't play sports. You might get it as a result of repetitive motions you make at work or with a hobby you do at home. The repetitive strain causes injury to the tendon that can get worse over time and lead to chronic elbow pain.

Home Treatments That Might Help Reduce Pain

You might get relief from elbow pain from tendinitis by taking over-the-counter pain relievers or topical anti-inflammatory creams. Resting your elbow might help too, and ice can help with pain and inflammation. You might need to stop playing your sport until the pain goes away, or at least adapt your technique so you stop putting strain on your tendon. This might require wearing a brace or using tape on your elbow.

Medical Procedures That Might Help With Healing

Your doctor might have treatments that can help your elbow pain when the pain doesn't go away with care at home. These treatments might include ultrasound therapy, PRP injections, dry needling, physical therapy, or even surgery. The goal of the treatments is to speed healing of injured tissue, or treatments may involve removal of the damaged tissue.

Your doctor might consider corticosteroid injections to help relieve inflammation and reduce pain, but these have to be used carefully so your tendon isn't at an increased risk of injury.

Since tendonitis is an injury, it takes time for swelling and tissue repair to complete. If you're taking pain relievers, the pain might diminish, but that doesn't mean your tissues have healed. Be sure to follow your doctor's instructions for when you can resume your sports activities so you don't cause further injury to your elbow that might require surgery to repair. Be patient and let your elbow heal properly.


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