How to Relieve Your Elbow Pain at the Source

Elbow pain and injury respond favourably to physiotherapy intervention when early treatment is sought. An accurate diagnosis is your key to a prompt recovery.

Diagnosing the source of your elbow pain can be complicated even for experienced upper limb health practitioners. Elbow pain can be caused by a multitude of sources. These may be local structures, referred structures and other systemic conditions.

Local elbow pain is commonly caused by a local muscle, tendon or joint injury. Alternatively, elbow pain can be referred from your neck joints. Lateral elbow pain (eg tennis elbow) can be commonly caused by irritation or compromise of your C5/6 nerve. In this example, a neck problem can refer pain to the lateral aspect of your elbow. Treatment directed at the elbow in this instant will not resolve your elbow pain. It will require neck treatment directed at your cervical radiculopathy to be successful. Hence, an accurate diagnosis from a health practitioner skilled in the thorough assessment of elbow pain is highly recommended.

For more specific advice regarding your elbow pain, please consult your trusted health practitioner.

Common Sources of Elbow Pain

The most common source of elbow pain that presents clinically is lateral epicondylalgia (lateral elbow pain). This is also the medical term to describe tennis elbow.

Medial epicondylalgia (medial elbow pain) is a similar condition on the inner aspect of your elbow and is commonly known as golfers elbow.