Elbow Pain: Diagnostic & Treatment
The elbow is a complex hinge joint that serves as a vital bridge between your shoulder and hand, facilitating essential movements like lifting, reaching, and rotating your forearm. Because it is involved in almost every upper-limb activity, it is highly susceptible to repetitive strain, overuse, and sudden injury.
Elbow pain can be debilitating, often restricting your ability to perform daily tasks or enjoy sports. At ProPlus Physio, we skip the guesswork. Our specialist clinic provides a comprehensive diagnosis using Musculoskeletal Ultrasound to pinpoint whether the issue stems from tendon degeneration, joint inflammation, or nerve entrapment, followed by precision-guided treatments.
UNDERSTANDING THE ELBOW JOINT
The joint is composed of three bones that work in unison to facilitate bending (flexion), straightening (extension), and rotation of the forearm:
Humerus: The upper arm bone.
Radius: The bone on the thumb side of the forearm.
Ulna: The bone on the pinky side of the forearm.
Many common conditions occur where tendons attach to these bones, particularly at the bony bumps known as the epicondyles.
Common Conditions
Tennis Elbow (Lateral Epicondylitis): Pain on the outer elbow during gripping or lifting.
Golfer’s Elbow (Medial Epicondylitis): Pain on the inner elbow.
Olecranon Bursitis: A visible swelling at the tip of the elbow.
Cubital Tunnel Syndrome: Numbness in the fingers caused by nerve compression.
Effective treatment for elbow conditions often involves a combination of appropriate rehabilitation techniques and targeted injections to reduce inflammation and pain, facilitating an ongoing range of motion and strengthening exercises.
Tennis Elbow:
Clinically known as lateral epicondylitis, is a painful condition that occurs when the tendons in your elbow are overworked, usually by repetitive motions of the wrist and arm. Despite its name, it affects a wide range of individuals beyond athletes, including office workers and manual laborers who engage in frequent gripping or lifting tasks. The pain typically radiates from the outside of the elbow and can spread into the forearm and wrist, often resulting in weakened grip strength and difficulty with daily activities like opening jars or typing.
At ProPlus Physio, we utilize diagnostic ultrasound to identify the specific degree of tendon thickening or tearing, allowing us to provide targeted treatments such as shockwave therapy or guided injections to stimulate recovery.
Treatment Approaches for Elbow Pain:
Rest or modified activities to allow strained tissues to settle.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs) to manage pain and swelling.
Physiotherapy exercises to improve flexibility, movement, and strength.
Heat or ice application (under clinician guidance).
Diagnostic ultrasound scan to identify the specific cause of pain.
Ultrasound-guided corticosteroid injections for enhanced accuracy to alleviate pain.
Shockwave Therapy (ESWT) for chronic tendon conditions like Tennis Elbow.
Surgery in extreme cases when alternative therapies fail.
You don’t have to wait for a surgery list to get back to the activities you love. By combining expert physiotherapy with advanced diagnostic technology, we bridge the gap between “dealing with the pain” and “resolving the injury.”
Ready to stop guessing and start healing?
Contact ProPlus Physio today for a specialist assessment and diagnostic scan.