Elbow Pain Treatment in Dublin, Cork, Cavan
Your elbow is a joint formed where three bones come together, your upper arm bone called the humerus, and the ulna and the radius, the two bones that make up your forearm. Each bone has cartilage on the end, which helps them slide against each other and absorb shocks. They’re lashed into place with tough tissues called ligaments. And your tendons connect your bones to muscles to allow you to move your arm in different ways.
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.
Anatomy of muscles, tendons and ligaments of the elbow
Anatomy of the elbow bones with evidence of osteoarthritis in the radiohumeral joint
What are the most common causes
of elbow pain?
Lateral epicondylitis also called Tennis elbow is a painful condition that occurs when tendons in your elbow are overloaded, usually by repetitive motions of the wrist and arm.
Despite its name, athletes aren’t the only people who develop tennis elbow. People whose jobs feature the types of motions that can lead to tennis elbow include plumbers, painters, carpenters and butchers.
The pain of tennis elbow occurs primarily where the tendons of your forearm muscles attach to a bony bump on the outside of your elbow. Pain can also spread into your forearm and wrist.
Symptoms include pain, burning, or an ache along the outside of the forearm and elbow. It gets worse and may spread down to the wrist if the person continues the activity that causes the condition. The grip may become weak.
The pain associated with tennis elbow may radiate from the outside of your elbow into your forearm and wrist. Pain and weakness may make it difficult to:
- Shake hands or grip an object
- Turn a doorknob
- Hold a coffee cup
Medial epicondylitis is also known as golfer’s elbow, baseball elbow, suitcase elbow, or forehand tennis elbow. It’s characterized by pain from the elbow to the wrist on the inside (medial side) of the elbow. The pain is caused by damage to the tendons that bend the wrist toward the palm.
Medial epicondylitis is caused by the excessive force used to bend the wrist toward the palm. This can happen when swinging a golf club or pitching a baseball.
Other possible causes of medial epicondylitis include:
- Serving with great force in tennis or using a spin serve
- Weak shoulder and wrist muscles
- Using a too tightly strung, too short, or too heavy tennis racket
- Throwing a javelin
- Carrying a heavy suitcase
- Chopping wood with an axe
- Operating a chain saw
- Frequent use of other hand tools on a continuous basis
Golfer’s elbow is characterized by:
- Pain and tenderness. Usually felt on the inner side of your elbow, the pain sometimes extends along the inner side of your forearm. Pain typically worsens with certain movements.
- Stiffness. Your elbow may feel stiff, and making a fist might hurt.
- Weakness. You may have weakness in your hands and wrists.
- Numbness or tingling. These sensations might radiate into one or more fingers — usually the ring and little fingers.
Common names for olecranon bursitis are: student’s elbow, miner’s elbow or draftsman’s elbow
Bursitis affects bursae, small sacs of fluid that help protect the joints. Olecranon bursitis affects the bursae protecting the pointy bone of the elbow.
It may be caused by: A blow to the elbow, leaning on the elbow for a prolonged period of time, infection or medical conditions such as arthritis
Symptoms include: swelling, pain, difficulty moving the elbow, Redness and warmth may occur in the case of an infection.
Osteoarthritis of the elbow occurs when the cartilage surface of the elbow is worn out or is damaged. Elbow osteoarthritis may be caused by an elbow injury, or wear and tear on the joints.
Symptoms include: pain, difficulty bending the elbow, a locking sensation in the elbow, a grating sound during movement, swelling.
Lateral Epicondylitis or Tennis Elbow
Medial Epicondylitis or Golfer´s Elbow
So…How can we help you?
At Regenecare pain clinic we aim to improve the quality of life of our patients, freeing them from the pain that afflicts them and preventing future complications. We base our treatments on Regenerative Medicine, but we also carry out the rest of the conventional treatments according to the needs of each of our patients for the management of their pain. We have developed a comprehensive method of care for our patients, based on wellness goals, with close monitoring and always seeing the patient as a whole and not just as a disease.
Regenerative therapy is an alternative treatment option for patients with elbow pain. Minimally invasive procedures like stem cell and platelet-rich plasma therapies involve an outpatient procedure performed under local anesthesia in our clinic, using the patient’s own adult stem cells or patients own blood to help the elbow heal.
PRP injection under ultrasound control. PRP has excellent results, especially in tendinopathies.
Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP)
The human blood contains red and white bloods cells, platelets and plasma. PRP refers to blood plasma that contains a large concentration of platelets. Platelets contain the necessary bioactive proteins and growth factors to repair and regenerate human tissue. PRP injections produce regeneration and repair of damaged tissues. At Regenecare Pain Clinic we obtain great results of pain relief and improvement of function with our PRP protocol.
Stem Cells
Stem cells are found throughout the body and have the potential to become any type of cell, including those found in cartilage. They can help the body regenerate tissue by stimulating healing and reducing the painful effects of osteoarthritis. And furthermore, researchers believe adult stem cells can repair and replace cartilage as well as other tissue damaged by arthritis. In the same way, this treatment prolongs the longevity of the joint.
Stem Cells extraction process
Steroid Injection
Steroid injections generally help relieve pain and swelling and make movement easier. Steroids are powerful anti-inflammatories that, when injected directly into the pain site, greatly reduce inflammation and thus pain. In the case of the Elbow, the steroid is injected directly into the painful area. The benefits can last for several months and the side effects are minimal with proper administration.
Am I a good candidate for Regenerative Treatments?