Golfer’s elbow, or not?
A baseball pitcher throws a fastball. After the game, you notice that your elbow hurts. He grabs an ice pack, puts it on the inside of his elbow, and walks out the door.
A telephone salesperson wins an award for the most sales in his department. He gets in his car to go to his favorite restaurant to celebrate, ignoring the pin-and-needle sensations in his ring and little finger and the sharp pain in the inside of his elbow.
When a golfer makes contact with the ball, they wince in the elbow, causing the club to drop. He grabs his arm, wondering what could be wrong.
What do all these situations have in common? Everyone has pain on the inside of the elbow. So they all have the same diagnosis, right?
Incorrect! Like the rest of your arm, the anatomy in this region is complex and intricate, so many structures can cause pain on the inside of the elbow. Bend your elbows at a 90 degree angle and place them next to your body. The part that touches your sides is the medial or medial elbow. This article looks at three of the most common causes of elbow pain at this location.
The baseball pitcher suffers from a medial collateral ligament (MCL) strain as a result of repetitive torque and strain on the elbow during pitching. Small tears and overstretching of the ligament occur, leading to laxity and instability in the elbow over time. See a doctor if you suspect you have this condition. Early treatment should include a launch analysis by an experienced physical or occupational therapist. They can identify biomechanical problems and offer suggestions for correcting the technique. If ignored, MCL strains can progress to the point where surgery is required.
Cubital tunnel syndrome is probably the culprit for the seller’s symptoms. It occurs when pressure is exerted on the ulnar nerve, which is located behind the bony bump on the inside of the elbow. Do you remember the last time you hit your funny bone? Well that pain was the result of you hitting your ulnar nerve, which feels anything but fun! In the early stages, you will feel pain on the inside of your elbow, and you may notice pins and needles in your ring and little fingers. This condition can also progress if ignored, so it is important to schedule an appointment with your doctor if you have these symptoms. Treatment includes splinting and stretching, but focuses on modifying activities that aggravate the nerve. Again, ignoring these symptoms for long periods may require surgery to remove pressure from the nerve.
In fact, the golfer has the characteristic “golfer’s elbow,” which is caused by inflammation of a tendon in the medial elbow. This tendon attaches the muscles that bend the wrist and fingers to the bony bump on the inside of the elbow. Seeking treatment in the early stages of this condition is also better because healing times are slower when tendonitis becomes chronic. Identifying aggravating activities and learning to modify them can help decrease pain and prevent symptoms from getting worse. Surgery is rare for this condition, even in chronic stages, but it can be a last resort option.
Previous examples have shown that internal elbow pain can be the result of damage to a ligament, nerve, or tendon. The take-home message is to seek your doctor’s advice in the early stages to prevent the condition from worsening.