Your elbow may have the moniker “the funny bone” but tingling, shooting pain, discomfort, or soreness in the elbow joint is no laughing matter. This type of pain and discomfort can impact your everyday quality of life and should be treated by a medical professional right away.
But should you see a chiropractor for this type of pain?
Yes. Chiropractic care should be the first line of treatment for most types of elbow pain. Research supports that chiropractic care can not only treat the root cause of most sources of elbow pain but it can be used before steroid injections, surgery, or medication to alleviate that uncomfortable elbow joint pain.
Your chiropractor will be able to perform a full assessment of your elbow, the causes of your pain and help you determine if chiropractic care is the right course of action for you. Plus, chiropractors in Laurel, Maryland are point-of-entry healthcare professionals meaning you don’t need a referral to get an appointment and determine the root cause of your pain.
There are many different types of elbow pain, and many times this type of pain comes from overuse. While the only way to determine what type of elbow issue you are dealing with is to see a doctor of chiropractic for an assessment and x-rays, it can still be helpful to know what some of the most common types of elbow pain are.
Tennis elbow, also known as lateral epicondylitis, is one of the most common forms of elbow pain. It typically can be felt in the back or the outside of the elbow.
Tennis elbow is not a tennis-only injury, it’s a form of tendonitis that can impact many people, not just tennis players, as it comes from overuse of the muscles and tendons that connect the forearm muscles.
Typically the pain from this movement causes a small amount of pain at first and over time, the repetitive motion causes more pain. Many times, individuals with tennis elbow also start to notice pain with everyday activities that involved the forearm such as shaking hands or squeezing objects.
The most important thing to remember with Tennis Elbow is that it is unlikely to go away on its own. However, a combination of regular chiropractic treatment along with ice, massage, joint manipulation, and exercises can help the body heal and keep your elbow pain at bay.
Golfer’s elbow is similar to tennis elbow, but instead of impacting the back or outside of the elbow, it typically impacts the inside of the elbow. Like tennis elbow, it typically comes with repetitive stress, particularly from high-intensity swinging motions, and often impacts everyone from baseball players and tennis players to golfers, carpenters, and more.
Treatment includes ice, physical therapy, chiropractic adjustments, and exercises.
This condition refers to inflammation or injury to the bursae, which are the joints’ shock absorbers. The elbow bursa is located at the end of the elbow between the bones and your loose skin. Bursitis can be painful and is typically caused by trauma, prolonged pressure on the joint, infection, or other medical conditions like rheumatoid arthritis.
Individuals with bursitis not only typically experience pain, but eventually stiffness or issues moving the elbow, which can worsen over time. Typically a combination of ice, mobility exercises, and chiropractic care can help with bursitis.
Of course, these aren’t the only causes for elbow pain, and your chiropractic will perform a full evaluation to determine the exact cause of your issue, so you can get the help you need and get back to living your life—pain-free!
Chiropractors can treat a variety of common elbow pain conditions including tennis elbow and golfer’s elbow through a combination of gentle manipulations, at-home exercises, and physical therapy. Here at our Laurel, MD chiropractic office, our doctors are trained in a variety of techniques specifically designed to treat sports injuries, joint pain, and different common misalignments.
We also take x-rays in our office so we can determine if you have a more serious injury such as a dislocation, fracture, or break around the elbow that may be causing your elbow pain, so we can make sure you get a referral for the right specialist right away.
Three bones make up the elbow joint: the radius (forearm), ulna (lower arm), and humerus (upper arm) along with the ball and socket joint that allows you to move your arm in a variety of directions. This means, there are plenty of locations where injuries, bruises, fractures, and other issues can form, which is why we take such care in diagnosing your injury.
If you are struggling with joint pain, or have questions about how our Laurel, MD chiropractors can help you, contact our office at 301-776-0755 or book online with us today.
