Elbow Care and Treatment

When elbow pain makes it hard to move, lift, work or stay active, OrthoMO offers elbow care in Creve Coeur and Cape Girardeau, MO. Our team evaluates your symptoms, looks for the cause and helps you understand treatment options based on your injury, condition and daily needs.

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What Causes Elbow Pain?

Elbow pain may happen when the joint or the tissues around it become irritated, injured or strained. Common causes may include:

Tendon irritation or injury, including tennis elbow, golfer’s elbow, biceps tendon injuries or triceps tendon injuries
Sprains, strains, elbow ligament injuries or repeated throwing and overhead sports movements
Elbow nerve pain, including elbow cubital tunnel syndrome
Bursitis, fractures, dislocations or other elbow injuries
Arthritis, joint wear, less common elbow disorders or pain that may be coming from the neck or shoulder

The location of the pain, how it started and which movements make it worse may help an orthopedic elbow doctor narrow down the possible cause.

How Do I Know If My Elbow Pain Is Serious?

Elbow pain is not always a sign of something serious, especially when it follows mild overuse. Still, some symptoms should be checked sooner because they may point to an injury, infection, nerve problem or another condition that needs medical attention.

Seek care promptly if your elbow pain comes with:

Severe pain, trouble moving the arm, a locked elbow or pain that does not improve after a few weeks
Pain after a fall, accident, sports injury or direct hit, especially with a snapping sound, an arm that has changed shape or an elbow that looks out of place
Significant swelling, bruising, redness, warmth or a tender swollen joint
Fever, chills or feeling hot and shivery with swelling around the joint
Tingling, numbness or weakness in the arm, hand or fingers

What Doctor To See for Elbow Pain?

For elbow pain that affects arm movement, hand strength, lifting, work, sports or daily activities, an orthopedic elbow doctor is often a good place to start. They can evaluate the bones, joints, muscles, tendons, ligaments, bursae and nerves that help the elbow move and function.

Seeing an orthopedic elbow surgeon does not mean you automatically need surgery. It means your doctor can check your symptoms, review the likely cause and discuss nonsurgical or surgical options when appropriate. At OrthoMO, patients can be evaluated for elbow pain treatment and elbow care in Creve Coeur and Cape Girardeau, MO.

How To Treat Elbow Pain?

Elbow pain treatment depends on what is causing the pain, how long it has been happening and how much it affects arm movement, lifting, sports or daily tasks. Some elbow injuries and elbow disorders may improve with nonsurgical care. Others may need more specialized treatment, especially when there is a fracture, nerve problem, tendon injury or elbow ligament tear.

Nonsurgical Elbow Pain Treatment

Many treatment plans begin with nonsurgical care. Options may include:

Rest and activity changes: Reducing movements that make symptoms worse, such as repeated lifting, throwing, twisting or leaning on the elbow
Ice, heat or elevation: Helping manage pain or swelling, depending on the type of symptoms and when they started
Medication: Using pain-relieving or anti-inflammatory medicine when appropriate
Bracing, splinting or elbow pads: Supporting the elbow, reducing strain or protecting irritated areas during activity or rest
Physical or occupational therapy: Improving flexibility, range of motion, forearm strength, tendon function and safer movement patterns
Injections: Helping reduce pain or inflammation in certain conditions, when recommended as part of a broader care plan
Work, sport or ergonomic changes: Adjusting technique, tools, workload or repetitive movements that may be contributing to pain

Surgical Elbow Pain Treatment

Surgery may be considered when nonsurgical care does not help enough, or when the injury needs repair to restore stability, movement or function. Needing an evaluation by an orthopedic elbow surgeon does not always mean you will need surgery. It means your doctor can explain the options based on the cause and severity of your condition.

Depending on the diagnosis, orthopedic elbow surgery may include:

Arthroscopy: A minimally invasive procedure used to view and treat certain problems inside the elbow joint
Tendon repair or tendon debridement: Repairing a torn tendon or removing damaged tendon tissue, which may be considered for tendon injuries, tennis elbow or golfer’s elbow when appropriate
Ligament repair or reconstruction: Repairing or rebuilding a torn ligament, which is a strong band of tissue that helps keep the joint stable
Nerve surgery: Relieving pressure on the ulnar nerve, which runs near the inside of the elbow and may cause tingling, numbness or weakness when irritated
Fracture surgery: Repairing a broken bone when surgery is needed to help restore alignment, movement or stability

How To Prevent Elbow Pain?

Not every cause of elbow pain can be prevented, especially falls, accidents or certain elbow injuries. Still, healthy habits may help reduce strain on the joint, tendons, ligaments and nerves during work, sports and daily activities.

Ways to support everyday elbow care may include:

Ease into activity gradually: Increase the duration or intensity of lifting, throwing and other repetitive tasks slowly instead of doing too much too soon.
Use proper technique: Pay attention to form during sports, workouts, tool use and work tasks, especially movements that involve twisting the forearm or bending the wrist.
Take breaks and adjust your setup: Rest your arm during repeated tasks and consider ergonomic changes, lighter tools or different hand positions when needed.
Build strength and flexibility: Guided stretching and strengthening may help support the wrist, forearm, elbow, shoulder and shoulder blade muscles that work together during arm movement.
Pay attention to early symptoms: Pain, stiffness, weakness, numbness or tingling are signs to slow down and avoid pushing through symptoms.

If elbow pain keeps returning or starts limiting your usual activities, an orthopedic elbow doctor can help identify what may be causing the problem and recommend care based on your needs.

Frequently Asked Questions About Elbow Care

OrthoMO provides elbow care in Creve Coeur and Cape Girardeau, MO for pain, stiffness, weakness, numbness and injuries. An orthopedic elbow doctor can evaluate your symptoms, check movement and strength, review how the pain started and recommend care based on the likely cause.

An orthopedic elbow doctor can evaluate orthopedic elbow conditions involving tendons, ligaments, nerves, bones, bursae and joint surfaces. These may include tennis elbow, golfer’s elbow, elbow cubital tunnel syndrome, elbow UCL injury, distal biceps injury, triceps injury, arthritis, bursitis, fractures and dislocations.

Yes, many cases of elbow pain treatment begin with nonsurgical care, depending on the cause and severity. Options may include activity changes, bracing or splinting, medication, physical or occupational therapy, ergonomic adjustments, ice or heat and injections when appropriate as part of a broader plan.

Elbow surgery may be considered when nonsurgical care does not help enough or when an injury needs repair. This may include certain fractures, dislocations, complete tendon tears, severe elbow ligament injuries, ongoing nerve compression, painful locking or catching or long-lasting pain that limits daily function.

Elbow nerve pain treatment focuses on reducing pressure or irritation on a nerve, often the ulnar nerve near the inside of the elbow. Care may include avoiding prolonged elbow bending, using a night splint, protecting the elbow from pressure, therapy exercises or surgery when symptoms continue.

Elbow fracture treatment depends on the type, location and stability of the broken bone. Some fractures may be treated with a splint or sling, while displaced or fragmented fractures may need broken elbow surgery using screws, plates or other methods to help restore alignment and movement.

Get Help for Elbow Pain

Elbow pain can make everyday movements feel harder than they should. If discomfort is getting in the way of how you work, move or stay active, OrthoMO can help you understand what may be causing it and what care options may fit your needs. Schedule an appointment for elbow care in Creve Coeur or Cape Girardeau, MO.