Have you been experiencing elbow or wrist pain?

It is common to experience aches at the front, inner, and outer part of the elbow and wrist.  In fact, about 3% of population deals with lateral epicondylitis pain and 12% of population over 50 years old sustains a wrist fracture from a fall.  The elbow is made up of three bones (humerus, radius, and ulna).  The wrist and hand consists of 27 bones. There are multiple muscles that originate at the forearm and attach at the wrist and hand. Because there are many different anatomical parts, proper diagnosis is important in determining the appropriate treatment plan.

It is very common when someone starts to experience elbow or wrist pain, the initial thought is to rest the arm and limit activity.  Rest may provide some relief, but then a week or two down the road, the elbow or wrist starts to hurt again.  Some will even try taking an anti-inflammatory, and get short term relief, but again are left frustrated when improvement is not maintained.  This is a very common experience when dealing with elbow and wrist pain.

After a visit to their primary care provider, an individual may be prescribed a stronger anti-inflammatory, pain medication, or a muscle relaxant.  This can lead to injections and even surgery if issues are not addressed soon enough.

 Do you feel frustrated and feel that your only option is to live with the pain, take anti-inflammatories, pain medication, get an injection or have surgery? 

We can help elbow or wrist pain and can reduce the likelihood of needing to take medications, get an injection, or have surgery.

Common Complaints from People with Elbow and Wrist Pain

When one develops elbow or wrist pain, there can be many different reasons why. 

Some common complaints include:

• Dull/Vague Ache at the front, inner part of the elbow or wrist.

• Feeling of stiffness where it is difficult to bend your elbow or wrist

• Feeling of fullness at the forearm

• Pain and Weakness with grasping objects such as turning a door knob or when opening a jar

• Difficulty with cooking

• Pain when reaching above shoulder height

• Pain when trying to wash hair

• Pain and stiffness when reaching outward and away from body

Do you feel that you may just have to live with the pain and are hoping that it will go away on its own, or hope that it won’t affect the activities you love, such as playing a sport or playing with your grandchildren?

What causes elbow and wrist pain?

Elbow and wrist pain can be caused by many different things.  The most common issue with the elbow and wrist involves the forearm muscles.  It is possible for the tendons of the muscle to be inflamed resulting in tendinitis or even having tears present.  Muscles and tendons can be aggravated by repetitive activities such as cooking or playing sports like tennis or golf.  In addition, a traumatic fall can result in a fracture.  Nerve pain can result from a nerve being irritated. 

Common Elbow and Wrist Diagnoses:

• Lateral Epicondylitis (Tennis Elbow)

•  Medial Epicondylitis (Golfer’s Elbow)

• Median, Ulnar, Radial Nerve Irritation

• Biceps Tendinopathy

• TFCC Sprain

• Elbow Dislocation

• Ligament Injury (UCL, RCL)

• Wrist Sprains and Fractures

• Post-operative rehabilitation (biceps tendon repair, ligament reconstruction, ORIF for fractures, TFCC repair)

How can my elbow or wrist pain get better?

Your physical therapist performs an assessment to determine the cause of symptoms and identifies your limits in range of motion and strength.  These findings and thorough discussion with you will determine what things are difficult for you to perform and a plan of action is put together.  Physical therapists treatment is tailored to each individual’s needs with the main focus being to find the correct safe exercises for you to perform to improve your pain and function.  Hands on treatment such as joint mobilization (movements that guide your joint motion), and soft tissue work help to guide the recovery process.  In some situations, other modes of treatment such as electric stimulation, cupping, taping, etc. can also help to guide the process forward.  The goal is to decrease inflammation, improve your motion, improve your strength, and improve your function.