Guess one of the most mobilized parts of the human body is the elbow. When it comes to movements, your elbow can generally make you do everything. It enables you to lift, swing, throw and hug – just among the basic activity. And because of that injuries and pain are inevitable, but an orthopedic elbow specialist always got your back. Now, you have to understand that because of all the movements that your elbow can do the joints in it are prone to fractures and bone problems.

Elbows are formed by three bones: the humerus, the ulna and the radius. Each of these bones has cartilage that enables them to slide against each other to absorb shocks. The tough tissues called ligaments and the tendons are the stronghold of your bones and muscles, allowing your arm to move in different ways.

There are various ways for your elbow to hurt and these are some of the reasons why:

One-time Injuries

There are certain injuries that happen in a single event, like when you accidentally get hit during a sport or when you fall hard.

• Dislocated Elbow.

  • A dislocated elbow happens when one of the bones in your elbow is suddenly displaced. One common cause of this injury is when you use your hand to catch yourself during a hard fall. If you feel that you’re having a dislocated elbow, immediately call or visit your doctor.

• Fractured Elbow.

  • A fracture happens when one of your major arm bones had a breach at the elbow area. This is common during a car accident or a bad contact during a sports game. This fracture does not paralyze your arm, in fact, you will be surprised that you can still move them. However, if the pain is felt and you think that your elbow no longer looks okay, it’s time for a serious medical attention.

• Sprains and Strains.

  • A strain is when a muscle is torn due to a bad stretch. While a sprain is when a ligament is broken. You can tell that it’s a strain after you have applied too much pressure on your elbow while lifting heavy items or while playing a sport. Sprains, on the other hand, is common in athletes and those dealing with hardcore physical activities.

Wear and Tear Injuries

There are some elbow injuries that happen when you repeat an action that causes wear and tears on them. You can indirectly hurt yourself from sports or from work like in the office.

Bursitis

Also caused by repetitive action in the same manner. Being involved in an accident can also contribute to having bursitis and also an infection can cause it too. A bursa is part of your arm too, and as we speak they are the tiny cushion-like sacs that help your skin slide through your bones. But the moment they got inflamed, it’s when you start feeling the pain. It can be treated with a pain reliever and can be better again in a few weeks time.

Stress Fractures

This kind of fracture creates little cracks in one of the bones in your arm from overusing it. Well, elbows are always overused and that’s a fact. Although stress fractures are commonly occurring in the lower legs, feet, and as for baseball athletes and other sports that require a lot of throwing, they experience it mostly in their elbows. When it comes to the intensity of the pain, it’s much worse in the elbow.

Diseases

You may have overlooked these cases, but there are also diseases that may contribute to elbow pain and injury.

• Arthritis

  • There are different types of arthritis, but rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis are the most common types that can hurt your elbows.

• Osteochondritis Dissecans

  • This condition is more evident in children and teenagers. It is where a piece of bone along or near the elbow breaks or dies. The pain manifests when doing physical activities.

• Gout

  • Bet you have heard of this condition before too. Caused by uric acid build up in your body that once occur in your elbow the pain can be less tolerating.

When Should You Call For Medical Assistance?

It’s obvious that you should be directed to the emergency room if you have a fracture or a badly dislocated elbow. Yet, the following cases will still need your doctor’s help:

• If the elbow pain doesn’t go away even when treated with ice or rest and when you are not even using them.
• Intense swelling and pain around the elbow area.
• If the pain has already caused a fever.

Are you aware enough now? This will not only benefit you, but this can also benefit your family and friends. An elbow injury doctor Woodbridge can always help solve your elbow problems and can guide you not to, as much as possible, have the same injury or experience the same pain again.