Home Care for Elbow Pain

Elbow pain is one of the most common complaints caused by various problems. Learn how you can manage elbow pain on your own when emergency medical treatment is not necessary.

There are various causes of elbow pain and one of the most common is tendinitis or the injury or inflammation of the tendons, the soft tissues that attach the muscles to the bones. This can happen when the elbows are overused and when repeated pressure is applied on the said joints. Elbow pain is common in people who participate in sports activities such as weightlifting, swimming, rowing, racquet sports and other similar activities. It can also occur in those who repeatedly use the wrists and arms such as during gardening.

When you experience elbow pain, you should remain calm and not panic. What you do first is to assess the pain. Check the specific location and assess if you can find any bruises, if there are no fractured bones and if you can find any unusual symptoms there such as rashes. Check also if the pain happens in just one location or if radiates to the other parts of your arm. Observe the pain if it occurs with activity or not and if it is relieved when you assume a certain position. Once you have made your assessment and if you see that it does not need immediate medical attention, you try self-care treatments at home. You should constantly assess your elbows though and note any changes that have occurred regarding the pain.

To provide relief for your elbow pain, you can begin by applying ice over the affected area for 15 minutes hourly during the first day that you experience the pain. During the next three days, the ice can be applied every three to four hours. To prevent further injuries, you should wrap the ice with a cloth before applying. Resting your elbow is also important to avoid making the injury worse. Provide complete rest for the elbow for two days even if you feel better already during the first day. You should not do the activity that you have been doing when the pain occurred for at least three weeks for if you do, the pain and injury will get worse. While resting the elbow, keep it elevated above the level of the heart to help improve the blood flow. You can also apply a bandage and a splint so that the elbow is immobilized which gives it more time to recover.

When suffering from elbow pain, there are instances when you need to visit a doctor for medical treatment. Go to your doctor when the home treatments that you have done did not help improve your condition. You should also go to a health care professional immediately when you notice an obvious deformity in your elbow, when there is a direct elbow injury, when you cannot use the affected area and when you develop fever and the elbow becomes swollen and red.

As long as it is not a medical emergency, elbow pain can be easily managed at home. Keep the treatment methods that were mentioned above in mind and you will surely recover easily when you have elbow pain.