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Have you ever experienced pain in your elbow that made it difficult to perform everyday activities?
If so, it is important to identify the cause of your discomfort and determine whether the issue is related to a muscle or joint problem
Elbow injuries can be caused by a variety of issues such as repetitive strain, overuse, trauma, and arthritis.
Understanding what might be causing your elbow pain will help you take steps towards relieving it.
We will discuss how to differentiate between an elbow injury caused by muscles versus joints.
Common Injuries While Golfing
If you feel pain in your elbow, it is important to figure out if the problem is coming from a muscle or joint.
Pain in your elbow can be caused by different things like when you do something over and over again too much, an accident, or arthritis.
To know how to make the pain go away, it’s important to know what might be causing the pain.
Various injuries can happen while playing sports like golfing.
Golfing requires you to move your arms and wrists in certain ways which can cause strain on muscles and joints in your arms and elbows.
You might experience sharp pains after swinging a golf club for extended periods of time due to tendonitis which is inflammation of tendons that connect muscles to bones at the elbow joint area.
Other common golfing injuries are golfer’s elbow (or medial epicondylitis), tennis elbow (or lateral epicondylitis), fractures, sprains/strains, instability of the shoulder joint due to overuse as well as inflammation of tendons on either side of the wrist bone from gripping clubs tightly during play .
Symptoms Of Elbow Injury
The symptoms of an elbow injury depend greatly on the underlying cause.
For example, when an elbow injury is caused by overuse, the most common symptom is pain, usually located in a particular area of the arm or elbow.
This pain may be dull and achy or sharp and stabbing. It can increase with certain motions or activities such as gripping, lifting, and throwing.
Other symptoms of elbow injury from overuse include stiffness, swelling, decreased range of motion, and difficulty moving the arm or elbow.
Causes Of Elbow Injuries
Elbow injuries can have a wide range of causes, from overuse and repetitive strain to trauma or even arthritis.
Overuse injuries such as golfer’s elbow (or medial epicondylitis) and tennis elbow (or lateral epicondylitis) are caused by continual strain on the muscles and tendons surrounding the elbow joint.
Traumatic injuries such as fractures, sprains/strains, and instability of the shoulder joint can be caused by a direct blow or from falling on an outstretched arm.
Some elbow injuries may also be due to an underlying medical condition such as arthritis or bursitis.
Diagnosing An Elbow Injury
Elbow injuries can be very painful and make it hard to do everyday activities.
It is important to find out what is causing the pain, which could be an issue with a muscle or joint.
Elbow injuries can happen when doing sports like golf, as well as from overuse of your arms and elbows, accidents, or arthritis.
To help figure out how to make the elbow pain go away, you need to know if it is coming from a muscle or joint.
Symptoms of elbow injury may include pain in certain areas of the arm or elbow; this may feel dull and achy or sharp and stabbing.
You might also have stiffness, swelling, decreased range of motion (trouble moving your arm or elbow), difficulty moving the arm/elbow when gripping, lifting or throwing something.
There are different causes for an elbow injury such as overuse (golfer’s elbow/medial epicondylitis & tennis elbow/lateral epicondylitis) which happen when putting too much strain on muscles & tendons close to the joint area; traumatic injuries such as fractures & sprains/strains due to direct blows or falling down; instability of shoulder joints due to overuse; inflammation of tendons on either side of the wrist bone from gripping clubs tightly during play; and medical conditions such as arthritis or bursitis.
Treating A Muscle-Related Elbow Injury
There are a variety of treatments available for muscle-related elbow injuries, depending on the severity of the injury and underlying cause.
Physical therapy is often recommended to strengthen muscles and increase range of motion; this may include specific exercises to target the affected area, as well as stretching and massaging.
Rest from activities that may be causing strain on muscles and joints is important for recovery, as is icing the area to reduce swelling.
Medications such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may be used to reduce inflammation or pain.
For more stubborn cases, a doctor may also recommend steroid injections into the affected area; however, these should only be done in moderation and with the supervision of a professional.
Treating A Joint-Related Elbow Injury
If you have a joint-related elbow injury, there are many treatment options available.
Physical therapy is an important part of managing the pain and restoring function in the injured area.
Your physical therapist will give you specific exercises to target the affected joint, as well as stretching and massaging to reduce pain and swelling.
Rest from activities that may be causing strain on muscles and joints is important for recovery.
Medications such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may be used to reduce inflammation or pain.
For more stubborn cases, a doctor may also recommend steroid injections into the affected joint; however, these should only be done in moderation and with the supervision of a professional.
Surgery may be necessary in severe cases, such as fractures or dislocations.
Closing Remarks
Elbow injuries can be painful and impair your ability to do everyday activities.
It is important to seek medical attention if you think that you may have an elbow injury, so that a proper diagnosis can be made and the most appropriate treatment plan prescribed for your individual needs.
With the right combination of medications, physical therapy exercises, rest from activity, and other treatments as necessary, it is possible to reduce pain associated with an elbow injury and restore function in the affected area.
Don’t let an elbow injury slow you down; speak with a healthcare professional today about ways to get relief from symptoms quickly and safely.
