Elbow Conditions We Treat
Golfer Elbow — Medial Epicondylitis
Tennis Elbow — Lateral Epicondylitis
Peripheral Nerve Entrapment — Pinched Nerve
Golfer Elbow — Medial Epicondylitis
Golfer’s elbow, or medial epicondylitis, is generally a tendinosis (swelling and pain of the tendon) of the medial epicondyle of the elbow.
This type of injury will involve the forearm flexor muscles that run from the inside of the elbow into the hands.
Tissue injury happens when tight muscles and tendons pull on the attachment point of the bone, causing pain on the inside of the elbow.
The anterior forearm contains several muscles that are involved with flexing the wrist, fingers, and thumb.
The tendons of these muscles come together in a common tendinous sheath
In response to minor injury, overuse, or sometimes for no obvious reason at all, this point of insertion becomes inflamed and painful with gripping or wrist rotation.
Common Symptoms
- Sharp Or Dull Pain On The Inside Of The Elbow
- Difficulty Twisting Door Knobs
- Pain With Lifting Or Gripping Small Objects
- Pain With Shaking Hands
While golfer’s are prone to this type of condition, this can affect any person. Depending on your hobbies, occupation, or any activity that we use our wrists and fingers for because it is caused by overusing the muscles in the forearm that allow us to grip, rotate arm, and flex the wrist. If you are experiencing any of the common symptoms, we recommend that you schedule an appointment to properly diagnose the injury. We will be available to treat the condition properly with our cryotherapy treatments.
Tennis Elbow — Lateral Epicondylitis
Tennis elbow, or lateral epicondylitis, is a painful condition of the elbow caused by overuse. This condition is characterized by injury to structures in the extensor forearm muscle group and tendons that connect to the outside of the elbow.
Hence the term, tennis elbow, playing tennis or other racquet sports can cause this condition; however, other sports and activities can also put a person at risk for injury.
Tennis elbow is an inflammation of the tendons that join the forearm muscles on the outside of the elbow. The forearm muscles and tendons are prone to damage from overuse. Repeating motions are the most common cause for this common condition with the extensor carpi radialis muscle most often being involved.
When microscopic tears occur to the extensor muscles and tendons from overuse; pain and inflammation occurs. If you are experiencing any of the following common symptoms, we recommend you meet with us to properly examine and diagnose your injury. Our office will be able to provide you with the care and cryotherapy treatments as necessary.
Common Symptoms
- Pain On The Inside Of The Elbow
- Weakness With Grip Strength
- Pain With Racquet Grip Strength
- Gradual Pain Increase Over Weeks Or Months
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Pinched Nerve – Peripheral Nerve Entrapment
Pinched nerve, or peripheral nerve entrapment syndromes involve compression of a short segment of a nerve at a specific site as it passes through fibrous or muscular tissue.
Injury of the nerve typically occurs as a result of compression by the overlying structures. Another mechanism of injury involves traction, or pulling of the nerve, as it travels and changes direction around soft tissue structure points.
In the elbow region, the most common entrapment involves the median, radial, and ulnar nerves. Nerve entrapments in the elbow are fairly common conditions.
Symptoms typically involve numbness, tingling, and weakness in the hands. At times, symptoms of sharp electrical pains can travel down the nerve pathway.
The distribution of symptoms helps indicate the nerve involved. A median nerve entrapment typically involves the thumb and first two fingers. The ulnar nerve typically involves the last two fingers with the radial nerve typically affects the back of the hand.
If you are experiencing the following symptoms and have already been diagnosed, our office specialists in cryotherapy and active release technique can help you. We recommend that you visit us for a proper diagnosis.
Common Symptoms
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Numbness Or Tingling Into The Hands
- Weakness In The Arms Or Hands
- Loss Of Sense Of Touch
- Shooting, Electrical Pain
Vascular Entrapment
Vascular entrapment syndromes at the elbow level can occur occasionally. These entrapments typically happen to the brachial artery in the cubital fossa or in the biceps and triceps muscles in the upper arm.
Symptoms can vary and often described as an intense burning or throbbing pain in the arms or a feeling of coldness and loss of blood flow in the hands and fingertips. The symptoms typically vary due to severity and location of the vascular entrapment.
The most common structure causing compression of the brachial artery in the cubital fossa in the pronator teres muscle. Typically, this is the result of repetitive overuse resulting from long term computer mouse usage. The most common cause for brachial artery entrapment between biceps or triceps typically will be the result of strenuous elbow flexion-extension exercises. Workouts with heavy bicep and tricep focus, pull-ups, or dips can be common aggravating motions too.
If you have the following symptoms, we are able to help you, using our proven techniques of cryotherapy and/or active release techniques. Call on us today for an appointment.
Common Symptoms
- Coldness Feeling In Hands
- Numbness Or Tingling
- Feeling Of Arm/Hand Fell Asleep
- Burning Sensation
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Elbow Bursitis
Bursae are thin protective pads or sacs located throughout the body that act as cushions between bones and soft tissues. They contain a small amount of lubricating fluid that allows the skin to move freely over the underlying bone.
At times, friction, pressure, and tension can lead to injury to these sacs. In the elbow, the olecranon bursa can be prone to injury as it lies between the skin and the pointy bone at the back of the elbow called the olecranon.
Initial symptoms may be mild. Most commonly, there can be swelling around the elbow with joint stiffness. If the bursa is not infected, is it likely that there can be no pain at all. If an infection to the bursae occurs, redness and pain to touch at the bone will occur. Sometimes these infections can become severe and require surgical intervention if not properly managed.
If you are experiencing redness and pain to touch or any of the following symptoms, we recommend that you contact us. Infections can spread quickly and medical attention is important to get to sooner than later. Once you have been diagnosed, we will be available to treat the injury and help you along the way to healing with our specialized techniques including cryotherapy treatments and active release techniques.
Common Symptoms
- Elbow Pain With Redness And Swelling
- Swelling In the Elbow Without Pain
- Swelling, Redness, And Fluid Accumulation
Triceps/Biceps Injury
Triceps and biceps strain injuries are a relatively common soft tissue injury at the elbow. Causing a significant tear is a relatively uncommon injury. The main cause of a distal bicep tendon tear is a sudden injury- it is not one that happens over time. Injuries to the bicep tendon at the elbow generally occurs when the elbow is forced straight against resistance.
It is less common to injure this tendon when the elbow is forcibly bent against a heavy load. If you do have such an injury, there is often a “pop” at the elbow when the tendon ruptures. Pain is severe at first, and will gradually subside after a week or two.
If you have experienced a popping sound with an injury or have other symptoms provided below, we can assist you with the recovery. Come see us and we will utilize our speciality techniques of cryotherapy and/or active release technique to help you regain the confidence and mobility so that you can get on with your activities.
Other symptoms
- Swelling In The Front Of The Elbow
- Visible Bruising In The Elbow And Forearm
- Weakness In Bending Of The Elbow
- Weakness In Twisting The Forearm (supination)
- A Bulge In The Upper Part Of The Arm Created By The Recoiled, Shortened Biceps Muscle
- A Gap In The Front Of The Elbow Created By The Absence Of The Tendon