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Elbow pain
Category: Muscles, Bones & Joints · All muscles & joints symptoms
What it can feel like
Elbow pain usually comes from the tendons attaching around the joint rather than the joint itself: pain on the outer side with gripping is tennis elbow, on the inner side golfer's elbow — both misnomers, since most sufferers play neither sport. Stiffness, swelling or locking suggests problems inside the joint instead.
Possible causes
A symptom can have many causes, and most are not serious. The lists below group conditions this symptom can be associated with — common causes first. They are possibilities to discuss with a clinician, not a diagnosis.
Common causes
Elbow pain can be associated with tendon overload from gripping, lifting, racket sports or manual work, inflammation of the fluid sac over the point of the elbow (olecranon bursitis, often after a knock or leaning), and strains.
Other possible causes
Elbow pain can also be associated with arthritis of the joint, a trapped ulnar nerve at the elbow (with tingling in the ring and little fingers), gout, infection of the bursa or joint, and referred pain from the neck.
Red flags — when to seek help promptly
- A hot, swollen, red elbow with fever — urgent
- Elbow pain after a fall with deformity or inability to move the joint
- Elbow pain with numbness and weakness in the hand
- Elbow stiffness that is steadily increasing
What a clinician may do
A clinician will reproduce the pain with resisted movements to identify the tendon, examine the joint and the ulnar nerve, and compare both sides. Most tendon problems are managed with load modification and progressive exercises; ultrasound or X-ray is used for joint or bony questions.
Watch: related videos
Examination and clinical videos from the MedicalVideos.com library relevant to this symptom. Some clinical footage is graphic — that is the nature of a medical video library.
Related guides on MedicalVideos.com
Frequently asked questions
Why is it called tennis elbow if I don't play?
Because it was described in tennis players first — the tendon that lifts the wrist backwards is overloaded by any repetitive gripping: tools, keyboards, carrying, racquets. The name stuck; the mechanism is ordinary tendon overload.
My elbow bursa is swollen like a golf ball — is that dangerous?
A painless, squashy swelling over the point of the elbow is common after a knock or prolonged leaning and is usually harmless fluid in the bursa. It needs prompt assessment if it becomes hot, red, painful or is accompanied by fever, which suggests infection.
Related symptoms — Muscles, Bones & Joints
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