At Lushington Chiropractic, we have had many patients come in to the clinic complaining of elbow pain. Are you experiencing elbow pain and are you unable to relieve the soreness? Or maybe you have noticed a reduction in your grip strength in your hand?
If so Lushington Chiropractic Clinic in Eastbourne is the right place for you…
First let’s explore the anatomy of the elbow…
There are three bones that join at the elbow; the humerus that connects the elbow to the shoulder, the ulna which is the stationary bone in your forearm connecting the elbow and the wrist, and the radius which is the bone that rotates around the ulna, allowing the lower arm to twist.
There are 3 muscles that flex the elbow in the upper arm; these are the brachialis, brachioradialis and biceps brachii.
The muscles that extend the elbow are the triceps brachii and the anconeus. You also have muscles in the forearm that extend and flex the wrist.
When any of these muscles aren’t working properly then elbow pain may occur.
Causes of Elbow Pain
In my experience at Lushington Chiropractic Clinic in Eastbourne, the most common elbow complaints that I see in patients are caused by overuse, fractures or dislocations:
- Tendonitis; a common complaint and is can be caused by overuse of the tendons in the joint. Tendonitis felt on the outside of the elbow is commonly referred to as “tennis elbow”. Pain experienced on the inside of the elbow is called “golfer’s elbow”.
- Fracture; there are three bones at the elbow joint and any combination of these bones may be involved in a fracture, which is a crack or a break in the bone. If you can move your elbow correctly with no restrictions then it is likely not fractured, however an x-ray is the best way to rule this out.
- Dislocation; when one of the bones in the elbow joint moves completely out of place. This usually happens due to trauma, with hyperextension of the elbow joint.
- Bursitis; bursae are located at the points where muscles and tendons attach at the joints. Their function is to protect the joint. When the bursae become inflamed they start to cause pain and swelling. This can be caused by overuse of the elbow.
Conservative care is the primary form of treatment that should be recommended for most patients, as long as they do not have a dislocation or fracture. Conservative care means care that does not involve any surgical intervention.
Conservative care, such as chiropractic, involves teaching the patient how to move their elbow correctly, in order for the elbow to heal and function in the correct way without the use of surgery and medications.
There are many other examples of conservative care to treat elbow pain, such as massage therapy and acupuncture. We are fortunate at Lushington Chiropractic Clinic in Eastbourne to have massage therapists working alongside the chiropractors, some of whom perform acupuncture as part of their therapeutic technique.
At Lushington Chiropractic Clinic in Eastbourne, we work through the following steps when evaluating patients experiencing elbow pain; an in-depth assessment of the joint and arm/shoulder complex will be completed including range of motion, orthopaedic, muscle function and neurological tests, and a physical examination will be performed of the local area to evaluate it.
If you have noticed your grip strength has got worse and you are experiencing pain near the elbow, the wrist extensors may be overworking and taking over the job of the tiny grip strength muscles in your hand. All muscles throughout the body are connected, therefore the whole group or area including muscles and joints should be evaluated, because if the joint isn’t functioning properly then the symptoms may never fully be resolved.
What to do about Elbow Pain in Eastbourne?
If you have been complaining of elbow pain, then do not hesitate to come in and talk to me about it. I am here to help and educate people about various treatment options.
Lushington Chiropractic is Eastbourne’s largest and most award-winning chiropractic clinic. We are based in Eastbourne town centre, with easy parking and accessible rooms. Our chiropractic clinic is open late and on Saturdays. We have a lovely team of chiropractors serving the people of Eastbourne so if you have any questions do not hesitate to contact me on 01323 722499.
James Revell
Want to find out more about elbow pain?
If you’ve enjoyed this blog and want to find out more about elbow pain and dysfunction, then please check out one of our other blogs on the elbow below.
Elbow pain – It’s no laughing matter
Anyone for Tennis in Eastbourne? Injury Prevention Tips
Related
By James Revell
Related Articles
Archives
Call now 01323 722499
You must be logged in to post a comment.