The Best Elbow Joint Pain Treatment To Try Out
Our elbows are easily one of the most used joints in our body, most of the time even overused. Therefore, it's normal to experience pain and discomfort in your elbow joints. What's not normal is not paying enough attention to it. Even though most elbow pains are caused due to simple causes and clear up within a few days with a few tricks and home remedies, sometimes regular elbow joint pain treatments won't work in a few situations. Hence, it is necessary to understand which pain involves which area and requires what kind of treatment.
Here we will discuss everything about elbow pain- what causes it, the symptoms experienced, and the best way to get relief from it.
What is Elbow Pain?
Experiencing physical discomfort in the elbow joint or its supporting muscles, ligaments, bones, as well as arm muscles, is known as elbow pain. Pain in this region can also arise from strained or inflamed soft tissues or tendons.
What are the causes of Elbow Pain?
Elbow pain can have causes that aren't due to anything major, and with some medications and a few days' rest, the pain can subside by itself without visiting a doctor. The general cause of any joint pain is arthritis. Apart from this, other common causes include-
- An injury such as a fall, a direct blow to the elbow while landing, or an operation/surgery causes soft tissue to turn into scar tissue, leading to stiffness.
- Occasional locking of the elbow joint in a fixed position. The main cause of this is Osteoarthritis Nevertheless it is short-lived.
- Dislocated elbow - It means one or more than one elbow bone (there are 3 elbow bones) move out of the place where they meet at the elbow joint. It occurs after experiencing a fall. There can also be a cause of partial dislocation which often gets better on its own.
- Sprains and Fractures - Sprain is referred to the injuries experienced by ligaments around the elbow joint. Whereas, the fracture is a break in the tip of the elbow. Both are mostly a result of accidents.
- Medical conditions like - Cellulitis (inflammation of the skin due to infection), Septic arthritis (bacterial infection of elbow joint), Pinched nerve, etc.
- Repetitive movements of the wrist and arms cause an overload on the tendons of your arms. This condition is also known as Tennis elbow.
- Bursitis- A term used to describe the inflammation of a fluid-filled cushion beneath the skin.
Symptoms associated with Elbow Pain
The symptoms commonly experienced by people with Elbow Pain are-
- Visible changes to the affected elbow such as swelling and discolouration
- Fisting the hand might hurt
- Pain extending to the inner side of the forearm
- Feeling weakness in hands and wrist
- Experiencing soreness around the affected elbow bump
- Difficulty in extending the arms and grasping objects, causing pain.
Effective Elbow Joint Pain treatment
Most often, self-help treatments, home remedies and a few days' rests are enough to manage and clear up the pain in your elbow. The first and foremost is to stop doing the activity that caused the pain in the first place. Apart from this, you can opt for other elbow joint pain treatment methods like -
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Physical therapies
Such therapies help improve the state of your elbow without using any kind of medications, instead with the help of support/compression bandages and some precautions, the pain eases. Visiting a professional physical therapist would be recommended. Physical therapies also help to improve the strength and flexibility of forearm muscles.
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Massage
Deep tissue massages help enhance circulation by breaking up scar tissue, alleviating pain, releasing muscle spasms and improving flexibility. Massages are a great way of relieving pain without using any kind of medication.
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A hot compress or Ice therapy
Both of these help with inflammation and stiffness. For a hot compress, you can use a hot water bag, while for ice therapy, take a few ice cubes wrapped in a cloth and place it on the affected area. To make things easier, you can even take a cold-water bath.
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Anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving medications
These can help in giving instant relief, thus helping you cope with the pain. Lots of products are available in the market under this category, such as the Dr. Ortho Pain Reliever Spray, Over-the-counter medications such as anti-inflammatory drugs can be equally helpful.
If the pain continues to exist even after 12 months, consult a doctor. Taking preventive measures will help you to avoid landing in such conditions.
Dr. Ortho for elbow joint pain relief
To take care of your elbow joint pain. Dr. Ortho has also come up with products in their joint care segment. Dr. Ortho pain reliever spray, ayurvedic oil and pain-relieving ortho balm are the most effective for all kinds of joint issues, including elbow pain. All the products are 100% ayurvedic and hence, have no side effects.
Exercises for elbow joint pain relief
Certain exercises can prove to be helpful as a part of your elbow joint pain treatment. It includes-
Wrist Turn
Perform this by bending your elbow at a right angle
- Extend your hand outwards, palm facing up
- Gradually twist your wrist until the palm is facing down
- Hold this position for 5 seconds and repeat the same 9 more times
- You can perform this using a lightweight dumbbell too.
Elbow bend
- Stand straight and lower your arm to one side
- Now, slowly bend the arm and make it touch your shoulders
- Remain in this position for 15-30 seconds
- Do it 9 more times.
Fist squeeze
- Use a towel and roll it up like a ball. You can also use a tennis ball or rolled-up socks.
- Grip the ball using your fingers to form a fist
- Now tightly squeeze it for 10 seconds
- Do it 9 more times.
Towel twist
- Take a towel, loosely roll it up and hold it lengthwise with both your hands
- While keeping your shoulders relaxed, twist the towels the same way you squeeze out water from clothes'
- Do it in the same direction for 9 times more, and 10 times in the opposite direction.
Make sure to perform these exercises regularly for benefit.
Conclusion
Pain is a normal occurrence for everyone, be it anywhere in your body, including your elbows. So, for the most part, the elbow joint pain treatment can be taken care of at home. However, if the situation worsens and you start noticing -
bruising around your elbow joint
a protruding bone
pain that occurs when you are not using your arm or
the type of pain that doesn't improve after self-care, may require you to schedule an appointment with a doctor.
FAQs
Q. How do you relieve elbow joint pain?
Ans. The first thing that you should do is take a rest. Rest as much as you can and try avoiding activities that can further worsen your pain. Similar to other joint pain, elbow pain can also be managed with the help of Pain relievers and Ice. For quick relief from the pain, try using Dr. Ortho's pain reliever spray.
Q. What are the reasons for elbow joint pain?
Ans. The main reasons for elbow joint pain include-
- Overuse of elbow joints due to repetitive actions
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Joint Inflammation or Bursitis
- Injury leading to a broken arm
- Fractures or Sprains
Q. What can be the Symptoms of Elbow Arthritis?
Ans. You can get an idea regarding whether you have arthritis in your elbow or not if you experience any of the following symptoms-
- Decreased range of motion
- Grinding, popping or cracking of elbow joint
- Stiffness and swelling
- Joint tenderness
These symptoms can be an alert for you but, it is necessary to consult the doctor for better advice.
Q. Can Elbow Arthritis be cured?
Ans. Arthritis, be it of any form cannot be cured. But, with the correct products and the right treatment, you can get help in managing its symptoms. Correct products will help you to block inflammation, along with manage swelling, stiffness and loss of movement. Using cold or hot therapy will be a better option to deal with it.
Q. How can I use Dr. Ortho’s pain reliever spray for maximum benefits?
Ans. To get maximum benefits from using this pain reliever spray, make sure to spray this from a 5-8 cm distance from the affected areas. Do so 3-4 times a day and make sure to avoid spraying it on open wounds.