Elbow Pain
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with Physician-supervised AI
Reviewed By:
Tomohiro Hamahata, MD (Orthopedic surgery)
Dr. Hamahata graduated from the Jikei University of Medical Science. After working at Asanokawa General Hospital and Kosei Chuo Hospital, he joined the Department of Orthopedics at Asakusa Hospital in April 2021, specializing in general orthopedics and joint replacement surgery.
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People with these symptoms also use Ubie's symptom checker to find possible causes
I have pain in both elbows
Sleeping is difficult because my elbow hurts
Hurts to bend arm (elbow)
I can't bend or straighten my arm because of pain
Elbow pain that gets worse when wringing a towel
Elbow hurts even more when turning a doorknob
Elbow throbbing through the night
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Content updated on Jan 4, 2023
About the symptom
It refers to pain or discomfort arising from any part of the elbow joint, including cartilage, bone, ligaments, tendons or muscles.
When to see a doctor
Seek professional care if you experience any of the following symptoms
Recent weight loss
Numbness / sensory disorder
Repeated fever above 38 ℃
Swelling of the affected area
Fever
Possible causes
- Osteoarthritis (OA)
Wear and tear of the joint cartilage over time. Risk factors include repetitive joint movements and carrying heavy loads for many years.
- Chronic pain
Pain that is ongoing and typically lasts longer than six months. This kind of pain can persist even after the injury or illness causing it has healed or disappeared. It interferes with daily life and can lead to depression and anxiety.
- Rheumatoid arthritis (RA)
An inflammatory disease affecting multiple joints, particularly in the hands and feet. The cause is autoimmunity (body's immune system attacking itself).
- Tenosynovitis
- Cancer pain
- Sjogren syndrome
- Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA)
Related serious diseases
- Elbow dislocation / nursemaid's elbow
Elbow joint dislocation. In young children, the elbow joint is loose and can be dislocated just by pulling on the arm. Affected children may complain of severe pain or become unable to bend the elbow.
Questions your doctor may ask about this symptom
Your doctor may ask these questions to check for this symptom
Do you have elbow pain?
Do you feel any weakness in your arms or legs?
Is the affected area red?
Is the affected area swollen?
Do you feel any numbness or change in sensation?
Other Related Symptoms
Symptoms from the same body system / part
Symptoms treated by the same specialty
References
Kane SF, Lynch JH, Taylor JC. Evaluation of elbow pain in adults. Am Fam Physician. 2014 Apr 15;89(8):649-57. PMID: 24784124.
https://www.aafp.org/pubs/afp/issues/2014/0415/p649.html
Arrigoni P, Cucchi D, Menon A, Randelli P. It's time to change perspective! New diagnostic tools for lateral elbow pain. Musculoskelet Surg. 2017 Dec;101(Suppl 2):175-179. doi: 10.1007/s12306-017-0486-8. Epub 2017 Aug 2. PMID: 28770509.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12306-017-0486-8
Daniels SP, De Tolla JE, Azad A, Fritz J. Imaging Evaluation of Medial and Lateral Elbow Pain: Acute and Chronic Tendon Injuries of the Humeral Epicondyles. Semin Musculoskelet Radiol. 2021 Aug;25(4):589-599. doi: 10.1055/s-0041-1731790. Epub 2021 Oct 27. PMID: 34706389.
https://www.thieme-connect.de/products/ejournals/abstract/10.1055/s-0041-1731790
Cohen-Rosenblum A, Bielski RJ. Elbow Pain After a Fall: Nursemaid's Elbow or Fracture? Pediatr Ann. 2016 Jun 1;45(6):e214-7. doi: 10.3928/00904481-20160506-01. PMID: 27294496.
https://journals.healio.com/doi/10.3928/00904481-20160506-01
Descatha A, Despréaux T, Calfee RP, Evanoff B, Saint-Lary O. Progressive elbow pain. BMJ. 2016 Apr 5;353:i1391. doi: 10.1136/bmj.i1391. PMID: 27048479.
https://www.bmj.com/content/353/bmj.i1391
Reviewed By:
Tomohiro Hamahata, MD (Orthopedic surgery)
Dr. Hamahata graduated from the Jikei University of Medical Science. After working at Asanokawa General Hospital and Kosei Chuo Hospital, he joined the Department of Orthopedics at Asakusa Hospital in April 2021, specializing in general orthopedics and joint replacement surgery.
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Seiji Kanazawa, MD, PHD
Obstetrics and gynecology (OBGYN)
National Center for Child Health and Development, Japan