Achy Elbow? What to Know

Arm and elbow pain can be caused by a direct injury to the elbow, but one of the most common causes of elbow pain is tendinitis, or inflammation of the tendons on the outside of the elbow. Injury to these tendons is common among people who play racquet sports, hence the name, “tennis elbow.”

ut you can strain these tendons even if you have never swung a racquet—pulling weeds, using a screwdriver, or any similar repetitive motion can cause the tendons on the outside of the elbow to rebel and tell you that you’ve overdone it.

If your elbow pain is chronic, an expert can offer physical therapy advice for stretching exercises and other ways to reduce the pain and inflammation. A cortisone shot can be helpful, but extreme cases could require surgery.

If the elbow has developed bursitis in addition to tendinitis, a specialist may relieve the pain by draining excess fluid from the bursa (the fluid-filled sac that provides cushioning around the joint).

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