Elbow Pain

Regional Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Center

General Orthopedics and Sports Medicine located in Waxahachie, TX & Hillsboro, TX

Elbow pain occurs in a small area, but it can really disrupt your daily activities. If elbow pain prevents you from using your arm normally, it’s time to reach out to the elbow specialists at Regional Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Center, with offices in Waxahachie and Hillsboro, Texas. Dedicated orthopedic surgeon Robert Roye, MD, and his talented team take every step to make you feel better. Find out how they can help by calling the office or booking online now.

Elbow Pain Q & A

What causes elbow pain?

There are a few different causes of elbow pain, with the most common being:

Elbow tendinitis

Elbow tendinitis means inflammation within the tendons around your elbow. The most common kind of elbow tendinitis is tennis elbow, which occurs when you frequently turn your forearm tendons.

Elbow arthritis

The most common kind of elbow arthritis is rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disease that attacks joint lining. You can also develop osteoarthritis (wear-and-tear) arthritis or post-traumatic arthritis in the elbow.

Biceps tendon rupture

Distal biceps tendon ruptures occur when you tear the tendon connecting your biceps muscle with your elbow joint. This injury can occur suddenly, as a result of lifting too much weight. In most cases, some degree of preexisting tendon degeneration exists before a biceps tendon rupture.

All of these conditions can cause not only elbow pain but also elbow instability, in which your elbow joint can move out of place at times.

How is elbow pain diagnosed?

The Regional Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Center team takes a full medical history and reviews your symptoms. If your elbow pain started suddenly, you’ll discuss the circumstances around the injury in detail.

The team performs a thorough elbow assessment, which includes gently palpating and moving your elbow.

In most cases, you’ll need diagnostic imaging to accurately identify the reason for your elbow pain. You’ll typically have an X-ray and may also need diagnostic ultrasound, CT scan, or MRI in some cases.

How is elbow pain treated?

Your elbow pain treatment plan focuses on healing the damaged tissue or bone, which in turn reduces inflammation and pain. The Regional Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Center team typically prescribes conservative nonsurgical treatment whenever possible.

Common nonsurgical treatments include physical therapy with the in-office team, elbow bracing, steroid joint injections, and orthobiologic injections.

Some types of elbow damage won’t heal naturally and will require surgery. For example, for a complete distal biceps rupture, you need distal biceps repair because tendons can’t reattach themselves to the bone and heal naturally.

The surgeons can often perform procedures like distal biceps repair using cutting-edge arthroscopic techniques with just one small incision.

At Regional Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Center, the team always does everything possible to get you out of pain and back to using your elbow normally in the fastest time frame. Learn more about how they can help with your elbow pain by calling the office or clicking the online scheduling tool now.