When most people think about elbow pain, they often think about tennis elbow. While this is common, it is not the only problem of the elbow that interferes with daily life.

Elbow pain can impact everything from writing, opening jars, driving, and typing on the computer to lifting a bag of groceries, carrying the laundry basket, and holding a child/grandchild. Think the elbow is not important in daily life activities? Think again.

The elbow seems like such a simple joint, bending/straightening the arm and turning your palm up or down. But in reality so much more is involved. A total of 17 muscles are involved in direct action of the elbow or have attachments here. Many of the muscles that make the hand move originate near the elbow. Plus the elbow is made up of 3 different joints. Have an issue in any one of those muscles or joints and problems can arise. And we haven’t even touched on injuries related to falls or repetitive strain of work or sporting issues. The elbow is not looking so simple afterward…

The elbow is the mid point between the shoulder and wrist/hand. Believe it or not, an issue at either end (shoulder or wrist) has the potential to impact the elbow. And finally, the neck (and nervous system) has the ability to refer pain to the elbow. This means the elbow may be working perfectly fine but you still get a message that your elbow hurts. This all makes self-diagnosing and treating much more difficult.

When rest, ice, and Internet exercises are not working for you, it is time for help. It is time to get your life back. It is time to see a professional specializing in solving elbow problems, not just masking them will pills or injections. Whether elbow pain began slowly or came on suddenly, there is a solution out there for you. Consider claiming your very own Discovery Session to learn more and get a personalized plan for your elbow issue.