Elbow pain: the symptoms and treatments

Whether it’s from playing tennis, lifting heavy boxes or even rocking a baby, repeated use and overuse can cause the tendon tissue to change, become painful and less efficient. And this can lead to several symptoms, which aren’t just limited to the elbow: ^{Footnote [3]}  

• Your arm might hurt when you’re lifting or bending.
• It may be difficult or painful to fully extend your arm.
• The pain might feel worse when you’re gripping something small or undoing a screw cap.
• Your elbow and the area around it may feel painful and tender to touch.
• You might notice pain into your forearm and slightly above the elbow.

All these symptoms can be painful, limiting movement and affecting your day-to-day life. Depending on how serious your injury is, the pain can range from mild to severe enough to keep you awake at night. 

Try and rest your arm and stay away from activities that make the pain worse. If you’ve tried simple exercises and resting and it’s not getting better after a few days, you might need further help.

It may be a good idea to see a doctor if you experience any of the following symptoms:^{Footnote [4]}

• Swollen skin with pain over the elbow, with a fever or feeling unwell
• Pain and difficulty moving the arm after an injury
• Severe pain or snapping sensation, or your arm has changed shape

Your healthcare professional will check your elbow and feel around the joint to locate the pain and tenderness. They may do some simple tests to check your elbow, shoulder, wrist and hand, such as seeing how far you can extend your arm.

It’s very common to be given a diagnosis without any x-rays or scans, but they may recommend some imaging scans, such as an MRI or ultrasound. 

Elbow pain takes time to get better. Though it can resolve itself, overuse and injuries to tendons can take several months to fully recover. So, it’s important to make sure you know what to do to help.

It’s common to get an individual exercise programme to support your specific symptoms. For example, someone with tennis or golfer’s elbow could be advised a short period of reduced activity or to adapt any activities that aggravate their symptoms. ^{Footnote [2]}  

Self help

Depending on your symptoms, it may get better with rest and over-the-counter pain relief and medication. Whether this is suitable for you will depend on your own circumstances, and a healthcare professional can advise if you’re unsure.

Healthcare professionals also often recommend applying something cold to the area to help ease discomfort. You may find it comfortable to place a wrapped ice pack, or a bag of frozen vegetables wrapped in a cloth, against the area for short periods. 

Medical help

If your elbow pain isn’t getting better, you may want to see a doctor.

They may recommend physiotherapy. Physiotherapists are experts in musculoskeletal health and will carry out a full assessment before deciding on a treatment plan to support your recovery. This may include a suitable progressive exercise programme, stretching or massage.

Surgery may be recommended by a doctor if you still have elbow pain after 6 to 12 months. ^{Footnote [3]} 

There are several ways you can lower the risk of having elbow pain:

• previous elbow pain can come back, so try to make sure you maintain good upper limb strength, modify activity if needed, and follow healthy lifestyle habits to support healthy muscle function
• if it’s a sports injury, make sure you’re using the right technique and speak with a fitness professional or coach if you’re not sure
• warming up properly with gentle stretching can mean less pressure on your elbow
• if it’s an injury from work, requesting lifting and manual handling training and using lighter equipment may help.

Olecranon Bursitis

Bursitis are small sacs of fluid that help cushion and protect the joints, and the olecranon is the bony bit of the elbow that sticks out. 

These fluid-filled sacs can become swollen, hot and painful, giving you olecranon bursitis. It could have been caused by a blow to your elbow, leaning on it for long periods, or an infection.  

You can treat it with painkillers to ease the pain. ^{Footnote [5]}   

Medial epicondylitis

Often called golfer’s elbow, this is pain along the inside of the elbow caused by repetitive movements of the hand, whether that’s from swinging a golf club or using work tools. 

You can treat this by resting your arm, and using over-the-counter pain relief medication. And a progressive exercise programme can help with recovery. ^{Footnote [6]}    

Dislocated or fractured elbow

If you’re in pain from dislocating or fracturing your elbow, you’ll probably know how it happened, as it’s usually caused by a fall or impact. 

Symptoms include pain, swelling, bruising, and being unable to move the elbow. 

If you’ve fractured your elbow, you may be put in a cast or splint to keep your elbow in place while it heals. You may be given medication for the pain. ^{Footnote [7]}   

Ligament sprains

If your arm is bent or twisted unnaturally, overstretched or overloaded, it could cause ligament problems. It can be very painful and swollen, and you might not be able to use your elbow at all. 

Putting a cold compress on the joint and taking pain relief medication can help with any discomfort. If you’ve experienced a new injury to your elbow, with swelling and lack of movement, you may want to seek medical assessment.^{Footnote [8]}