Elbow Specialist in Mumbai
Elbow Anatomy
The elbow is a complex joint formed by three bones – the humerus (upper arm bone), radius, and ulna (the two forearm bones). It is also known as a compound joint as it consists of three unique sub-joints formed by the three bones, which are:
- The humeroulnar joint formed between the ulna and humerus.
- The radiohumeral joint formed between the radius and humerus.
- The proximal radioulnar joint formed between the radius and ulna.
Essentially, the elbow joint functions include:
- Bending or straightening the arm to 180 degrees
- Assisting in lifting or moving objects.
Conditions causing elbow pain
- Tennis Elbow/ lateral epicondylitis
- Olecranon Bursitis
- Golfer's elbow / medial epicondylitis
- Bursitis Tendonitis
- Tendon rupture
- Sprains of the muscle-tendon cartilage, bone, and soft tissue
- Ulna nerve irritation
- Dislocation
- Fractures
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Some of the most common conditions of the elbow pain:
Lateral Epicondylitis/ Tennis Elbow
Lateral Epicondylitis/ Tennis Elbow
Tennis elbow is a condition that occurs by overloaded elbow tendons, usually by the repetitive wrist and arm motions. Despite its name, athletes aren’t the only ones developing tennis elbow. People whose jobs feature the motions that can lead to tennis elbow include plumbers, painters, carpenters, and butchers.
Symptoms:
- Severe burning sensation
- Tenderness
- Gradually worsening pain
- Stiffness and aching
Causes:
Repetition of forearm stress can damage your tendon. In addition, some sports, like tennis, can increase your likelihood of developing a tennis elbow.
Treatments
- It is recommended to rest frequently and limit certain activities.
- Injections and physical therapy.
- While rare, some cases of tennis elbow might require surgery.
Medial epicondylitis/golfer's elbow
Golfer’s elbow, or baseball elbow, is characterized by pain from the elbow to the wrist on the elbow’s inside (medial side). The pain is caused by damaged tendons. Tendons are cords of tissue that connect muscles to bones.
Causes:
- Throwing a baseball
- Swimming backstroke
- Hitting a golf ball during a tennis game
Symptoms:
Pain along the palm side of the forearm, from the elbow to the wrist, on the same side as the little finger. The pain can be felt when bending the wrist toward the palm against resistance or squeezing a rubber ball.
Treatment:
- Strengthening exercises are recommended but have to be consulted with the doctor.
- Bracing is done by the doctors to restrict the movement of the arm and let it heal.
- Anti-inflammatory medicine should only be taken as prescribed by your doctor.
- Corticosteroid injections can help manage the early-stage symptoms of the gofer's elbow.
Olecranon Bursitis
Elbow bursitis occurs in the olecranon bursa, a thin, fluid-filled sac located at the elbow’s boney tip (the olecranon). Many bursae throughout the body act as cushions between bones and soft tissues, such as skin.
Symptoms:
- Swelling over the prominence of the elbow
- Redness or erythema
- Pain related to elbow movement
- Night pain
- Restricted movement secondary to pain
Causes:
- Repetitive trauma to the elbow. This can occur if you repeatedly lean on your elbows during work or when pursuing other activities.
- A bone spur; a small bony prominence that can develop at the tip of your elbow, and this can irritate the bursa
Diagnosis:
Olecranon bursa is diagnosed purely on clinical grounds. A plain X-ray or ultrasound/MRI scan may be needed at times
Treatment:
- Regular rest is advised to manage the symptoms.
- Activity modification is done to not apply much pressure on the elbow.
- Anti-inflammatory medications to cure the earlier onset of the disease.
- Injection treatments
- Surgery-The bursa can be surgically excised(olecranon bursectomy).
Ulnar Collateral Ligament (UCL) Tears
An ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) tear is an injury to the ligaments on the inner side of the elbow. This ligament connects the inside upper arm to the inside of your forearm and helps support and stabilize your arm.
Symptoms:
- Elbow pain while working
- Numbness or tingling in the fingers
- Tenderness of the arm
Causes:
- Overuse of the elbow while having high pressure on the elbow.
- common in baseball payers, they have repetitive motion while throwing the ball.
- Trauma is also one of the most common causes of UCL Tears.
Treatment:
- Moderate tears can be repaired with medication or a physical therapy program prescribed by the doctor.
- More severe cases of ulnar collateral ligament injury tear will require surgery.
Ganglion Cyst of the Elbow
Ganglion cysts are common benign soft-tissue swellings, which can be found in any joint of the body, but 60-70% are found in the dorsal aspect of the wrist and communicate with the joint via a pedicle.
Symptoms:
If you have a ganglion cyst, you will have a small bump near your elbow joint. Most of the time, this bump will be painless.
Causes:
The direct cause of a ganglion cyst is unknown.
Treatment:
Ganglion cysts can go away on their own. However, if you have a ganglion cyst on your elbow or another joint that is causing you pain, seek help from a doctor.
Most elbow pain has a simple cause and vanishes within a few days. The pain comes from strained or inflamed soft tissues such as tendons. However, it’s important to not rest for too long as lack of movement causes joints to stiffen and the muscles around the elbow weaken, increasing the chance of other symptoms. To meet an elbow joint specialist in Mumbai for further details, book your appointment with Dr. Ganesh Rajeshwar now.
