Does your elbow hurt a lot when you bend or straighten it? But you have to move your elbow. You can’t expect the pain to go away just because you’re seizing all movement in the elbow. That won’t do. So, here are all of the reasons why it can happen and should you see an orthopedic surgeon.

Tennis Elbow

Tennis elbow is caused by damage to the outside part of the elbow. People who play a lot of tennis, badminton, and other sports in the same line are prone to this disorder. This causes pain on the outside of the elbow when you try to move it or swing your arms up too much during the delivery of the ball.

This is treated by giving the elbow a much-needed rest and you’ll see the difference in no time. If you overuse the elbow, then things will definitely go downhill.

Tendonitis

Tendonitis is really common to occur in athletes and even people who exercise a lot and use their arms and elbows to their full capacity. See, there are tons of tendons in the arm, but the one that can affect the elbow the most and cause pain when you try to bend or straighten the elbow can be the bicep tendon.

It is basically a tendon that secures the elbow with the rest of your upper arm and if there is inflammation in the tendon, then things are not going to turn out well. So, you want to see a doctor for this if you feel pain in your elbow when you try to bend it too much and it doesn’t budge.

Elbow Strain

Your elbow is pretty flexible and that’s awesome, but with flexible things, there can be a risk of straining them too. Elbow strain is the seizing of the elbow when you stretch it too much. This can either be during sports or even activities that involve extending the arms a lot.

Whether it be throwing a ball high up or just throwing your arms back and extending the elbow joint too much to the point of straining it. So, you want to be really careful when you’re dealing with joints, especially the elbow joint, because things can go wrong at any point. If you do experience joint pain, see a doctor ASAP.

Bursitis

Your bones are normally in pretty good condition, considering how much you use them on a daily basis. Well, that is because there are cushions inside the body that prevent the bones from rubbing against each other as well as against other muscles. These small cushions are fluid-filled sacs and they’re known as bursae.

However, in bursitis, the sacs can get very inflamed and that is a problem, because the very thing that is supposed to protect your bones and muscles from withering away is now trying to cause pain. So, that is not good at all and you need to see a doctor right away if you don’t want things to go south.

Bursitis can be caused by a lot of things, including overuse, strains, and even very serious injuries that haven’t healed.

Sprains

Elbow sprains are also very common. Kind of like an ankle sprain, elbow sprains can be very limiting and painful. They can cause a great deal of pain, especially when you try to move the elbow too much or even bend it. The pain will be sharp and pinching and you’ll want to stop moving the elbow to prevent the pain from increasing in intensity.

So, if you have fallen down really badly and you’ve taken a hard hit to your elbow, then sprains will be really common and rather than moving your elbow, you want to give it time to heal before things get even worse. You don’t want to risk dislocating or injuring the elbow any more than it already is, so see a doctor immediately. Sprains are common in ankles and knees as well so if you feel pain in your knees, seeing a knee injury doctor Woodbridge is a good idea.

Ulnar Nerve Entrapment

It is also known as cubital tunnel syndrome and basically, it is the constriction of the ulnar nerve. The ulnar nerve is basically a very major and important nerve that travels from the neck all the way down to the arm.

Now, the constriction of the nerve can occur on the inside of the elbow and that can be really painful. Nerve pains are a whole another level of painful and they can render your arm useless unless the pressure is alleviated. This can occur due to the unnecessary pressure on the ulnar nerve, especially near the arm and other things like that.

Osteoarthritis

One more cause of elbow pain when bending it can be osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis is a disorder in which the bones are ground to nothingness. This is really common in women and it can happen anywhere, not just the elbows.

Since the elbow is used a lot and there are just a lot of things that can go wrong with it, osteoarthritis is really common in this region too. Your bones will become really brittle and they will reduce to nothing, which is really scary if you think about it.

So, it is best that you consult with a doctor. They may suggest nutritional supplements which will manage the arthritis and the pain as well. So, you don’t want to hang on with the pain for very long.

Golfer’s Elbow

Golfer’s elbow is also known as medial epicondylitis. It is a condition in which the inside of the elbow is stretched to a certain extent and then there is a lot of pain. Usually, when people play golf, their arms have to extend beyond a certain range.

They swing their arms a lot too and that can cause damage to the tendon inside the arm, and the pain will be unbearable when you bend or even straighten the elbow. This can also be accompanied by tingling or a numbing sensation in the arm, so you want to see a doctor immediately, because this is not good at all.

Joint Dislocation

The elbow joint can be prone to dislocation, especially if you fall down very hard on your elbow or even your extended arm. This can be really painful and when you try to move your arm or even bend the elbow, you will experience pain like no other. See, the elbow is made up of the junction of two bones and the joint is really important. It needs to be set in place at all times if you don’t want it to get dislocated or anything.

This is why you want to ensure that you are being careful when playing sports that involve a lot of impact and force. If you know that there are going to be incidents of falling, then make sure that you’re wearing elbow caps to protect your bones from dislocation. It is going to save you from a lot of pain in the long run.

Conclusion

Elbow pain when bending or straightening is really bad and not to mention, painful. But now you know exactly why it occurs and what you can do to get rid of it. The right way to go about it is to visit an elbow specialist Woodbridge who can diagnose the problem and create a treatment plan if required.