Why Do My Elbow Joints Ache? Understanding the Causes and Finding Relief

Elbow pain is a common complaint that can significantly impact your daily life. While often overlooked, your elbows are crucial for a wide range of movements, from getting dressed in the morning to performing tasks at work. Experiencing persistent aches in your elbow joints can be frustrating and limit your ability to perform even simple activities. Understanding why your elbow joints ache is the first step towards finding effective relief and preventing future discomfort.

Understanding Your Elbow Joint

The elbow is a complex hinge joint that allows for a remarkable range of motion. It’s not just one joint, but actually a combination of joints working together, connecting your upper arm (humerus) to your forearm bones (radius and ulna). This intricate structure is composed of:

Bones: The humerus, radius, and ulna, providing the framework of the elbow.
Muscles: Various muscles surrounding the elbow enable flexion, extension, and rotation of the forearm.
Ligaments: Strong, fibrous tissues that connect bone to bone, providing stability to the elbow joint.
Tendons: Tough cords that attach muscles to bones, facilitating movement.
Bursae: Small, fluid-filled sacs that cushion the bones, tendons, and ligaments around the elbow joint, reducing friction during movement.

Your elbow allows for two primary types of motion that are essential for everyday tasks:

Flexion and Extension: Bending your elbow (flexion) lets you bring your hand closer to your body, like when you eat or lift objects. Straightening your elbow (extension) allows you to reach out, such as when putting on a jacket or reaching for something on a high shelf.
Pronation and Supination: Rotating your forearm allows you to turn your palm up (supination) or down (pronation). These movements are critical for actions like turning a doorknob, using a screwdriver, or typing on a keyboard.

Common Reasons for Elbow Joint Aches

Several factors can contribute to aching elbow joints. Identifying the potential cause is crucial for effective treatment. Here are some of the most frequent culprits:

Tendinitis: Overuse and Inflammation

Tendinitis, or tendonitis, is a common cause of elbow pain, particularly lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow) and medial epicondylitis (golfer’s elbow). This condition involves the inflammation of tendons around the elbow, often due to overuse and repetitive motions.

Tennis Elbow (Lateral Epicondylitis): Pain typically occurs on the outer side of the elbow. It’s often caused by repetitive wrist extension movements, common in tennis backhands, but also in activities like painting, carpentry, and computer work.
Golfer’s Elbow (Medial Epicondylitis): Pain is felt on the inner side of the elbow. Repetitive wrist flexion or gripping motions, as in golf swings, weightlifting, and even using tools, can lead to this condition.

The pain from tendinitis can radiate from the elbow into the upper or lower arm, and it often worsens with specific movements.

Arthritis in the Elbow Joint

While less common than in weight-bearing joints like knees or hips, arthritis can affect the elbow joint and cause aching pain. Different types of arthritis can impact the elbow:

Osteoarthritis: This “wear-and-tear” arthritis occurs when the protective cartilage in the elbow joint breaks down over time, leading to bone-on-bone friction, pain, and stiffness.
Rheumatoid Arthritis: An autoimmune disease where the body’s immune system attacks the lining of the joints, causing inflammation, pain, and potential joint damage.

Arthritis pain is often characterized by stiffness, especially in the morning or after periods of rest, and can be accompanied by swelling and reduced range of motion.

Bursitis: Inflammation of the Bursae

Olecranon bursitis, commonly known as elbow bursitis, involves the inflammation of the olecranon bursa, a fluid-filled sac located at the bony tip of the elbow. This bursa cushions the olecranon bone (the pointy part of your elbow) and reduces friction between the bone and overlying skin and tissues.

Bursitis can be triggered by:

Direct trauma: A blow to the elbow.
Prolonged pressure: Leaning on your elbows for extended periods.
Infection: In some cases, the bursa can become infected.
Underlying conditions: Conditions like rheumatoid arthritis or gout can increase the risk of bursitis.

Elbow bursitis typically presents with pain, swelling, and redness at the tip of the elbow.

Sprains and Strains

Elbow sprains involve ligament injuries, while strains affect muscles or tendons. These injuries are often caused by sudden trauma or overextension of the elbow, such as:

Falls: Landing on an outstretched arm.
Sports injuries: Sudden twists or impacts during athletic activities.
Lifting heavy objects improperly.

Sprains and strains can result in elbow pain, swelling, bruising, and limited movement.

Fractures

A fracture in any of the bones forming the elbow joint (humerus, radius, or ulna) will cause significant pain. Elbow fractures are often the result of:

Falls: Especially in older adults or individuals with osteoporosis.
High-impact injuries: Car accidents or direct blows to the elbow.

Fracture pain is usually severe and immediate after the injury, accompanied by swelling, deformity, and inability to move the elbow.

Diagnosing the Cause of Your Elbow Ache

If you experience persistent or severe elbow pain, seeking medical advice is essential for accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment. Your doctor will typically follow these steps:

Medical History and Symptom Review: Your doctor will ask about your symptoms, including when the pain started, what activities aggravate it, and any previous elbow injuries or medical conditions.
Physical Examination: This involves a thorough examination of your elbow, including:
- Visual inspection: Checking for swelling, redness, or bruising.
- Palpation: Gently pressing on different areas of the elbow to pinpoint the location of pain and tenderness.
- Range of motion assessment: Evaluating how far you can bend and straighten your elbow and rotate your forearm.
- Strength tests: Assessing muscle strength around the elbow.
- Specific tests: Like the Cozen test for tennis elbow or the Golfer’s elbow test, to reproduce pain and help diagnose tendinitis.
Imaging Tests: In some cases, imaging tests may be necessary to confirm a diagnosis or rule out other conditions:
- X-rays: To visualize bones and identify fractures or signs of osteoarthritis.
- MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging): To provide detailed images of soft tissues like ligaments, tendons, and muscles, helping diagnose sprains, strains, tendinitis, and ligament tears.
- Ultrasound: Can visualize tendons and bursae, useful for diagnosing tendinitis and bursitis.

Relieving Elbow Joint Ache: Treatment Options

The treatment approach for aching elbow joints depends on the underlying cause and severity of your symptoms. Here are some common strategies:

Home Care and Self-Treatment

For mild to moderate elbow pain, especially if related to overuse, you can try these self-care measures at home:

Rest: Avoid activities that aggravate your elbow pain. Give your elbow joint time to heal by reducing repetitive movements and heavy lifting.
Ice: Apply ice packs to the elbow for 15-20 minutes at a time, several times a day, especially in the initial days after pain onset or injury. Ice helps reduce inflammation and pain.
Heat: After the initial inflammation subsides (usually after a few days), heat therapy can be beneficial. Applying heat packs or warm compresses can improve blood flow, relax muscles, and promote healing.
Over-the-counter pain relievers: Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen or naproxen, or acetaminophen (Tylenol), can help manage pain and reduce inflammation.
Stretching and exercises: Gentle stretching and range-of-motion exercises can help maintain elbow flexibility and reduce stiffness. Specific exercises can also strengthen the muscles around the elbow, supporting joint stability.

Forearm extensor stretch: Straighten your arm with your palm facing down, and gently bend your wrist down, pointing your fingers towards the floor. Use your other hand to gently pull your fingers towards your body. Hold for 30 seconds.
Forearm flexor stretch: Extend your arm with your palm facing up. Bend your wrist upwards, pointing your fingers towards the ceiling. Use your other hand to gently push your fingers towards the floor. Hold for 30 seconds.
Bracing: Wearing an elbow brace or support can help immobilize the joint, reduce stress on the tendons and ligaments, and promote healing. Braces are particularly helpful for tendinitis and sprains.

Medical Treatments

If home care measures are insufficient, or if your pain is severe or persistent, your doctor may recommend further medical treatments:

Physical Therapy: A physical therapist can design a personalized rehabilitation program to improve elbow strength, flexibility, and range of motion. Therapy may include exercises, manual therapy, and modalities like ultrasound or electrical stimulation.
Corticosteroid injections: Injections of corticosteroids into the elbow joint or around the tendons can reduce inflammation and provide pain relief. However, these injections are typically used sparingly due to potential side effects and long-term tendon weakening.
Surgery: Surgery is rarely needed for elbow pain but may be considered in severe cases of tendinitis, arthritis, or fractures that don’t respond to conservative treatments.

Preventing Elbow Joint Pain

Taking preventive measures can help reduce your risk of developing elbow pain:

Proper warm-up: Before engaging in activities that strain your elbows, warm up your muscles with gentle stretches and light exercises.
Use proper technique: When participating in sports or activities involving repetitive arm movements, ensure you use correct form and technique to minimize stress on your elbows.
Avoid overuse: Take breaks during repetitive tasks to avoid overworking your elbow joints.
Strengthen surrounding muscles: Regularly strengthen the muscles in your forearm and upper arm to support your elbow joint and improve stability. Bicep curls and forearm exercises are beneficial.
Ergonomics: Ensure your workspace is ergonomically designed to reduce strain on your elbows, especially if you spend long hours at a computer.
Listen to your body: Pay attention to early signs of elbow pain and address them promptly. Don’t ignore persistent aches or discomfort.

By understanding the potential causes of why your elbow joints ache and taking appropriate steps for treatment and prevention, you can effectively manage elbow pain and maintain healthy, functional elbows for years to come. If you are experiencing persistent elbow pain, consult with your doctor to get a proper diagnosis and personalized treatment plan.

About the Reviewer

Robert H. Shmerling, MD, Senior Faculty Editor, Harvard Health Publishing; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing

Dr. Robert H. Shmerling is the former clinical chief of the division of rheumatology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), and is a current member of the corresponding faculty in medicine at Harvard Medical School. … See Full Bio

View all posts by Robert H. Shmerling, MD