Elbow Care
How Your Elbow Works
Your includes many muscles, tendons and ligaments that hold it in place. The elbow joint has three bones: the upper arm bone, the ulna and the radius. Cartilage protects these bones and helps them move smoothly, while the joint capsule keeps everything lubricated. If any of these parts get hurt or irritated, your elbow can become painful and less flexible.
Elbow Pain & Injuries
Let our orthopedic specialists help you reduce pain, tenderness and swelling from elbow conditions, such as:
- – Worn or damaged cartilage in the elbow
- Broken bones – at or near the elbow joint
- – Pinched or irritated elbow nerve
- Dislocation – Bones in the elbow that come apart from their normal position
- Distal biceps tendon rupture – Complete or partial separation of the tendon attaching the bicep to the elbow
- – Painful, swollen or damaged tendons on the inside of the elbow
- – Inflamed or irritated bursa at the tip of the elbow
- – Limited blood flow to the elbow joint, which leads to bone death beneath the joint’s cartilage
- – Inflammation of the tendons (tendonitis) joining the forearm to the outer elbow muscles
- Ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) tear – Injury to a ligament on the inside of your elbow
Nonsurgical, Conservative Care
Your orthopedic team will use nonsurgical treatments and therapy as your first line of treatment for elbow conditions. Your options at ºÚ°µ±¬ÁÏÍø HealthCare may include:
- Resting the elbow to give it time to heal
- Ice therapy to relieve swelling
- Compression to help reduce swelling and prevent strains
- Over-the-counter anti-inflammatory and pain medications
Rehabilitation Therapy
Improve your mobility and function, reduce pain and gain flexibility through rehabilitation therapy for your elbow.
- – Stretches and exercises to strengthen the forearm muscles along with ultrasound or muscle-stimulating techniques to support healing
- – Techniques for doing daily tasks more easily as you recover
Elbow Injections
For some conditions, doctors use in the elbow to relieve pain and reduce elbow inflammation. Injections can also help speed recovery from overuse, sprains and strains. Injections give temporary relief, usually up to six months.
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections help heal injured elbow tissue, reduce pain and improve movement. Your doctor takes platelets from your blood and injects them into your elbow to stimulate healing.
Elbow Surgery/Procedures
Your orthopedic doctor may consider surgery when other treatments don’t relieve your pain or help you heal. Your surgeon will choose the least invasive procedure whenever possible, which may speed your recovery
Surgery can fix serious problems and injuries, allowing your elbow to move better and feel more stable.
- – Minimally invasive procedure that uses small incisions and a tiny camera to look inside your elbow and treat problems
- – Realigns and stabilizes broken bones in the elbow, often using pins, plates or screws
- Ligament repair or reconstruction – Repairs or replaces damaged ligaments in the elbow, especially in cases of instability or dislocation
- Nerve decompression – Relieves pressure on pinched nerves in your elbow for cubital tunnel syndrome
- Open surgery – Repairs damaged tissues or bones using a larger incision over the elbow
- Tendon repair – Fixes torn or damaged biceps or triceps tendons in your elbow
- – Replaces a severely damaged elbow joint with an artificial implant
Ask for a Referral
Ask your primary care doctor for a referral to an orthopedic surgeon at ºÚ°µ±¬ÁÏÍø HealthCare. Need a primary care provider? Browse our directory.