Why Does My Elbow Hurt When I Extend and Bend It?

Reviewed by Tomas Diaz, MD

Emergency Medicine

Pain when bending and extending your elbow is often caused by irritated tendons (tendinopathy) or compressed nerves (nerve entrapment). These common conditions typically develop from repetitive movements or strain.

Explanation

Pain during elbow extension and bending often occurs when tendons around your elbow become inflamed or overworked. Tendons—which connect muscles to bones—can become irritated, leading to a condition called tendinopathy. This commonly happens with repetitive movements, resulting in conditions like tennis elbow (affecting the outer side) or golfer's elbow (affecting the inner side). Another possible cause is nerve entrapment, where pressure on nearby nerves causes pain during movement. Both tendinopathy and nerve entrapment typically result from overuse, strain, or changes in daily activities that stress the elbow. While taking breaks and avoiding painful activities may help, it's important to have persistent pain evaluated by your doctor for proper diagnosis and treatment.

(References)

Kheiran A, Pandey A, Pandey R. Common tendinopathies around the elbow; what does current evidence say? J Clin Orthop Trauma. 2021 May 21;19:216-223. doi: 10.1016/j.jcot.2021.05.021. PMID: 34150494; PMCID: PMC8190485.
Naik AA, Bawa A, Arya A, Gulihar A. Nerve entrapment around elbow. J Clin Orthop Trauma. 2021 May 27;19:209-215. doi: 10.1016/j.jcot.2021.05.031. Erratum in: J Clin Orthop Trauma. 2021 Jul 30;20:101539. doi: 10.1016/j.jcot.2021.101539. PMID: 34150493; PMCID: PMC8190494.
Konarski W, Poboży T, Kotela A, Hordowicz M, Poboży K. Ultrasound in the Differential Diagnosis of Medial Epicondylalgia and Medial Elbow Pain-Imaging Findings and Narrative Literature Review. Healthcare (Basel). 2022 Aug 13;10(8):1529. doi: 10.3390/healthcare10081529. PMID: 36011187; PMCID: PMC9407887.

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