Common causes of elbow pain include:
- Broken arm
- Bursitis
- Dislocated elbow
- Golfer's elbow
- Osteoarthritis
- Osteochondritis dissecans
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Sprains and strains
- Stress fractures
- Tendinitis
- Tennis elbow
- Throwing injuries
- Trapped nerves
Seek emergency care if you have:
- An obvious deformity in your elbow
- A protruding bone
Call your doctor right away if you have:
- Severe pain, swelling and bruising around the joint
- Trouble moving your elbow normally, using your arm or turning your arm from palm up to palm down and vice versa
Schedule an office visit if you have:
- Elbow pain that doesn't improve after home care
- Pain that occurs even when you're not using your arm
- Increasing redness, swelling or pain in the injured area
Self-care
Most elbow pain improves with simple home treatments, such as:- 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. Keep your arm elevated to help reduce swelling
