[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2024\/02\/elbow-pain\/#Article","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2024\/02\/elbow-pain\/","headline":"What May Cause Your Elbow Pain","name":"What May Cause Your Elbow Pain","description":"Although elbow pain is common, it can greatly impact your daily life. Even the simplest tasks may feel unbearable. Elbow pain can lead to reduced mobility in the elbow joint, affecting your ability to enjoy everyday activities. That’s why seeking early treatment is vital. What Causes Elbow Pain? There are many reasons for elbow pain, […]","datePublished":"2024-02-14","dateModified":"2026-07-08","author":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.upmc.com\/services\/orthopaedics-regions","name":"UPMC Orthopaedic Care","url":"https:\/\/www.upmc.com\/services\/orthopaedics-regions","sameAs":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/orthopaedic-surgery\/","parentOrganization":"UPMC"},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"UPMC HealthBeat","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/UPMC-HealthBeat-Logo.png","url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/UPMC-HealthBeat-Logo.png","width":600,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/GettyImages-1152834631.jpg","url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/GettyImages-1152834631.jpg","height":867,"width":2000},"url":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2024\/02\/elbow-pain\/","about":["Health Topics A-Z","Orthopaedics"],"wordCount":1284,"articleBody":"Although elbow pain is common, it can greatly impact your daily life. Even the simplest tasks may feel unbearable.Elbow pain can lead to reduced mobility in the elbow joint, affecting your ability to enjoy everyday activities. That’s why seeking early treatment is vital.What Causes Elbow Pain?There are many reasons for elbow pain, including overuse, injury, and even underlying medical conditions.Your elbow is a complex joint that allows for bending and twisting motions. Three bones come together to form your elbow:Humerus \u2014 Your upper arm bone.Ulna and radius \u2014 The two bones that make up your forearm.Cartilage surrounds the elbow joint, and ligaments hold it in place. Tendons connect it to your muscles, allowing your arm to move in different ways. For your elbow to function as it should, these parts must stay in balance \u2014 if not, you’ll have discomfort.Elbow pain reasons can vary, but injuries to the elbow joint fall into two categories: acute or chronic.Acute elbow injuryAn acute elbow injury can happen from a fall, a jarring movement, or a direct blow to the elbow. A lifting injury \u2014 lifting too much or too often \u2014 can also cause an acute injury of the elbow, and result in a tearing or popping sensation.If you fall and have severe elbow pain afterward, you should head to urgent care right away. It’s important for a provider to rule out a fracture or a ligament or tendon tear.\u201cThings that are severe on a pain scale, along with limited mobility and function, or numbness or obvious swelling, are the biggest indicators that someone should come in for immediate care,\u201d says Nathan Formaini, DO, an orthopaedic surgeon specializing in shoulder and elbow surgery.Chronic injuryWhile acute injuries happen from a specific incident, the cause of chronic elbow injuries can vary. But often, they’re from overuse or repetitive motion.Many jobs, hobbies, and activities require repetitive movements of the hand, wrist, or arm. These can lead to chronic elbow pain.Overuse injuries can also occur after a lifestyle change, such as a significant increase in exercise or activity.\u201cIf someone is experiencing worsening pain, something that lasts longer than a few days or weeks with typical at-home care, that\u2019s when they should come in to be evaluated,\u201d says Dr. Formaini.Common Elbow InjuriesThere are many ways to injure your elbow. Whether the cause is tendonitis, arthritis, or tendon or ligament ruptures, knowing your specific symptoms helps pinpoint what’s behind your elbow pain. It can also tell you how best to treat it.Tennis elbowLateral epicondylitis \u2014 or\u00a0tennis elbow\u00a0\u2014 is one of the most common causes of elbow pain. This overuse injury causes inflammation or degeneration of the tendons on the outside of the forearm. These tendons allow you to extend and lift your hand.\u201cTennis elbow tends to appear as pain on the outer aspect of the elbow, further away from the body,\u201d says Dr. Formaini. \u201cClassically, it\u2019s from the backhand swing motion used in tennis, but we see it very often in people who do a lot of desk work, like typing and writing. Probably one of the most common causes now is overuse while using a keyboard or mouse.\u201dMedication, bracing, and injections are common treatments for tennis elbow. If these don’t ease your elbow pain, and you have exhausted all non-operative measures, you may need surgery.Golfer\u2019s elbowAnother overuse injury, golfer\u2019s elbow\u00a0(medial epicondylitis) causes inflammation of the muscle on the inside of the elbow and severe pain. This pain can run from the bony point of your elbow farther down into your forearm.Although it\u2019s a common golf injury, as the name of this condition suggests, it doesn\u2019t happen only to golfers. Any activity that requires repetitive forearm movement \u2014 such as using a screwdriver or painting \u2014 can also cause golfer\u2019s elbow.Golfer’s elbow differs from tennis elbow in that it appears more from doing squeezing or gripping motions, according to Dr. Formaini. Manual labor and jobs requiring more dexterity, or even hobbies that involve these types of movement, can lead to golfer\u2019s elbow.Conservative treatments like rest, ice, and stretching can help golfer’s elbow. You can also take nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs) to reduce elbow pain and inflammation.Elbow fracturesElbow fractures often happen during falls. It’s a reflex to brace yourself with an extended arm, but this places stress on your hands and wrists through the elbow.A fractured elbow can make it impossible to straighten or bend your arm. People also commonly have pain, swelling, and bruising as a result.Providers treat many elbow fractures with immobilization, meaning you wear a cast, sling, or splint while your elbow joint heals. But a severe fracture may require surgery for the best possible outcome. Doctors decide on elbow fracture treatment on a case-by-case basis, depending on the fracture and its severity.Tendon injuriesA torn or ruptured tendon, such as a distal bicep tendon tear or distal tricep tendon tears, often occurs from lifting heavy objects. If you take on too much weight at once but don’t realize it’s too heavy until it’s too late, you may feel a pop or a tear.Nonsurgical treatment includes a brace, physical therapy, and anti-inflammatory drugs, along with rest, ice, compression, and elevation. But sometimes, you may need surgery for a tendon injury, especially if you’re very active or play sports.How to Prevent Elbow PainThe best way to avoid elbow pain is to reduce your chances of injuring your elbow. Simple adjustments to daily behaviors and activities can go a long way, such as:Avoiding lifting more than you can handle.Avoiding overuse by taking breaks.Lifting in an ergonomic way.Not pushing through pain.Reducing your fall risk.Stretching before you exercise or play sports.\u201cBefore sports, or any movement, really, we try to advocate for warm-up sessions or stretching,\u201d says Dr. Formaini. \u201cKeeping the elbow mobile and the muscles around it strengthened is important. A warm-up or stretching prevents the large majority of injuries.\u201dTreating Elbow PainMany people fear coming in for elbow pain treatment because they think they’ll need surgery or something else major, according to Dr. Formaini. But often, common injuries to the elbow can be treated effectively with preventative measures, therapy, or non-surgical methods.\u201cFor overuse syndromes, eliminate the activity that aggravates your pain,” says Dr. Formaini. “This can be hard for people to do, so, when necessary, modify the movement. If it\u2019s overuse and not injury-related, the typical treatment is ice, rest, and anti-inflammatory medication.\u201dOveruse conditions can also intensify chronic elbow problems like tendonitis and arthritis. Treatment may include injections, such as cortisone or platelet-rich plasma (PRP), which may also be options for issues that don’t respond to initial care.But more severe conditions may require surgery. For instance, surgery may ensure the best outcome and recovery for ligament and tendon ruptures or fractures.\u201cThe vast majority of problems we see are nonsurgical,\u201d says Dr. Formaini. \u201cThat doesn\u2019t mean they can\u2019t be cured or corrected with surgery, too, but a lot of them won\u2019t get to that point. A lot of chronic issues start with the easiest form of treatment, and work up to the more difficult options, depending on what the situation calls for.\u201dYour elbows take a lot of demand and stress. If you’ve had an elbow injury or if elbow pain doesn’t go away, consider talking to your provider.Editor's Note: This article was originally published on February 14, 2024, and was last reviewed on July 8, 2026."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"2024","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2024\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"02","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2024\/\/02\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"What May Cause Your Elbow Pain","item":"https:\/\/share-dev.upmc.com\/2024\/02\/elbow-pain\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]