We use our hands every day without thinking about it, but then suddenly our elbow starts to hurt and it starts preventing us from being able to do our everyday tasks. Pain in the elbow is often due to two main conditions – tennis & golfer's elbow. Both injuries often occur due to repetitive overuse or wear and tear. Tennis elbow causes pain and tenderness around the outside of the elbow joint, whereas a golfer’s elbow causes pain around the inner side of the joint. However, there are other less common injuries which can affect the elbow joint or surrounding tissues.
How We Can Help With Elbow Pain?
At Body Beliefs, we take a holistic approach to healthcare that focuses on the diagnoses, treatment and prevention of elbow pain. We will gather information about your symptoms, relevant health and medical history, how the pain is impacting your daily activities and consider any ergonomic or environmental influences. We will then conduct a thorough osteopathic assessment and examination. This enables us to clearly explain what your elbow pain problem is, and why it happened. We will then provide specialist, hands-on treatment, and offer exercises and advice to accelerate your recovery and prevent the problem from returning.
The Possible Causes Of Elbow Pain?
Commonly, elbow pain is caused by repetitive overuse, whether this is through our sports, hobbies or even job. But pain can also be through a sudden injury such as a fall.
Common causes of elbow pain include:
- Excessive Typing - Many people's jobs include the use of a computer. We can find ourselves typing 9-5 (and the rest!)
- Overuse - Whether it is through work, sport, DIY and gardening we tend to do too much without giving the body adequate time for rest.
- Lots Of Grip Work - Gripping is a frequent complaint for elbow pain, common for manual labourers, gardeners and admin workers. This is because the muscles in our hands start from the elbow.
- Falls - Can strain and sprain the muscles and other structures of the elbow, whether that is a direct fall to the elbow or with an outstretched arm.
Symptoms Of Elbow Pain?
Your elbow pain may be acute (i.e. lasts a few days or weeks), or chronic (i.e. pain that lasts for 3 months or longer). It might range in intensity from mild discomfort to severe pain that impacts your daily activities.
Elbow pain can manifest in a variety of ways and the symptoms can vary depending on the underlying cause. Common symptoms include:
- Pain
- Stiffness
- Difficulty moving
- Swelling
- Bruising
- Pain or stiffness coming from the shoulder
- Pain or stiffness coming from the hand
- Pins & needles or tingling in the hand and forearm
- Numbness in the hand and forearm
- Weakness in grip strength and forearm strength
How Do We Treat Elbow Pain?
When it comes to treating elbow pain, we at Body Beliefs use a variety of techniques to help alleviate pain and improve function. These may include physical manipulation, mobilisation, stretching, soft tissue massage, and exercises to improve strength and flexibility. We will work closely with you to identify any underlying causes of the pain and address them through hands-on treatment, lifestyle changes and advice.
At Body Beliefs, we pride ourselves on "exceeding expectations", as evidenced by the glowing 5-star reviews from our satisfied patients on platforms such as Google Reviews and Facebook. To schedule an appointment, please book online or call 01277 676 676.
