Published on: 5/26/2025
Elbow pain can happen for many reasons including injuries, overuse, inflammation, or arthritis. It might be caused by conditions like tennis elbow, golfer’s elbow, or joint wear from arthritis.
There are several reasons why your elbow joints might hurt. One common cause is an overuse injury. When you use your arm a lot—such as while playing sports or doing repeated tasks—it can strain the muscles, tendons, or ligaments around your elbow. This strain might cause what people often call “tennis elbow” or “golfer’s elbow.” With tennis elbow, the pain is usually on the outside of the elbow, and with golfer’s elbow, the pain is on the inside. Another possibility is that you have arthritis in your elbow joint. Arthritic changes to the joint can cause pain and stiffness. Injuries, such as a fall or a blow to the elbow, can also cause pain by damaging tendons, ligaments, or even bones in the joint. Sometimes, other conditions like bursitis (inflammation of the small sacs in the joint) can make your elbow hurt too. All these conditions can make your elbow stiff and painful, and they often need careful rest and treatment to help them heal.
(References)
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Kane SF, Lynch JH, Taylor JC. Evaluation of elbow pain in adults. Am Fam Physician. 2014 Apr 15;89(8):649-57. PMID: 24784124.
Del Core MA, Koehler D. Elbow Arthritis. J Hand Surg Am. 2023 Jun;48(6):603-611. doi: 10.1016/j.jhsa.2022.12.014. Epub 2023 Feb 8. PMID: 36759236.
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