What Treatments Are Available for Elbow Joint Pain?

Elbow pain can be treated using different methods. First, doctors usually start with simple steps like resting your arm and using ice to reduce swelling. Medicines such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can help ease pain. For conditions like tennis elbow or medial elbow pain, physical therapy is very important. A physical therapist may show you special exercises that stretch and strengthen your muscles and tendons around the elbow.

Sometimes, a doctor may use an injection to help calm the pain and swelling. When the pain is due to arthritis in the elbow, a doctor might follow a similar plan with rest, medicine, and physical therapy. If you're experiencing elbow discomfort and want to understand what might be causing it, try our free symptom checker to get personalized insights in minutes. If these treatments do not work well, or if the damage in the elbow is severe, surgery might be an option.

Surgery can help fix problems like damaged joint surfaces or tight tissues. Each treatment is chosen based on the type and severity of the pain to help you use your arm better.