Rheumatoid arthritis
: The most common type of elbow arthritis. It is an autoimmune disease in which the body attacks the joint tissues, causing inflammation and damage. Both elbows are often affected.
How can I relieve elbow pain?
- Protect. Keep the area from getting further injury.
- Rest. Avoid the activity that caused your injury.
- Ice. Place an ice pack on the sore area for 15 to 20 minutes three times a day.
- Compression. Use a compression bandage to reduce swelling.
- Elevation.
Why are both my elbows hurting?
The most common cause of elbow pain is
inflammation of one or both of the elbow’s two tendons
. This is called tendinitis, and it is often the result of overuse. “Repetitive movements from everyday work, household chores, golf, or tennis can affect the muscles above and below the elbow and cause tendinitis,” says Norby.
What autoimmune causes elbow pain?
Rheumatoid arthritis
is an autoimmune disease that can strike different parts of the body, including the joints. The immune system mistakenly attacks the membrane inside the elbows and other joints. This creates inflammation and pain.
What does elbow pain indicate?
Elbow pain is often caused
by overuse
. Many sports, hobbies and jobs require repetitive hand, wrist or arm movements. Elbow pain may occasionally be due to arthritis, but in general, your elbow joint is much less prone to wear-and-tear damage than are many other joints.
When should you see a doctor for elbow pain?
Call your doctor if you have:
Elbow pain that doesn’t go away with rest and ice
, or pain that doesn’t go away even when you’re not using your arm. Intense pain, swelling, and bruising around your elbow. Pain, swelling, or redness that gets worse, especially if you have a fever, too.
What does arthritis in elbow feel like?
What it feels like. Pain from rheumatoid arthritis in the elbow is often symmetrical and best described as a
dull ache or throbbing pain
. In the beginning stages, you may have intermittent pain that comes and goes, or you may only feel pain with certain movements like bending your elbow.
Can you get osteoarthritis in your elbows?
Osteoarthritis of the elbow occurs
when the cartilage surface of the elbow is worn out or is damaged
. This can happen because of a previous injury such as elbow dislocation or fracture. Most commonly, however, it is the result of a normal wearing away of the joint cartilage from age and activity.
At what age does arthritis usually start?
It most commonly starts among people
between the ages of 40 and 60
. It’s more common in women than men. There are drugs that can slow down an over-active immune system and therefore reduce the pain and swelling in joints.
Why do I have pain in my knees and elbows?
Rheumatoid arthritis
is the most common cause of elbow arthritis. The long-term disease makes your immune system attack the lining of your joints, causing pain, swelling, and inflammation. It often affects joints on both sides of your body. So it could be the culprit if both elbows ache.
Does lupus cause elbow pain?
Lupus can also cause
inflammation in
the joints, which doctors call “inflammatory arthritis.” It can make your joints hurt and feel stiff, tender, warm, and swollen. Lupus arthritis most often affects joints that are farther from the middle of your body, like your fingers, wrists, elbows, knees, ankles, and toes.
What is a natural remedy for elbow pain?
For relief of elbow pain, the home remedies of rest, ice packs, and compression of the joint area are usually recommended by many clinicians.
Ginger tea, heating pads, and massage
may be used to relieve symptoms of elbow pain.
How do you know if you have damaged your elbow?
Stiffness in and around the elbow
.
Snap or pop at the time
of the injury. Visible deformity. Numbness or weakness in the arm, wrist and hand.
Conditions that may cause elbow symptoms
A pinched nerve can cause elbow pain with numbness and tingling. A problem elsewhere in the body, such as a heart attack, can cause referred pain in the elbow.
What kind of doctor do I see for elbow pain?
Specialists who treat elbow pain and injuries include
orthopedic surgeons, sports medicine doctors, rheumatologists, physiatrists, physical therapists, and athletic trainers
. Elbow pain can interfere with work and play activities, so it’s important to get your elbow checked if your pain doesn’t go away.
