It would not be a wrong approach to consider the elbow joint as the control center of the hand in the human body.
In case of elbow pain; Aside from sports, pain limits the patient even in simple movements such as eating, driving, or lifting something. It manifests itself as extreme pain in the outward-facing side of the elbow when the hand grasps or lifts an object.
The most common causes of elbow pain are:
–Tendinitis and bursitis (tendon inflammation or olecranon disorders such as bursitis)
–Tennis elbow (Lateral Epicondylitis): This name was given because it is frequently seen in tennis players. It is not a disease specific to athletes only. It usually occurs as a result of forced and repetitive wrist movements. The patient complains of pain on the outer side of his elbow. Elbow pain can radiate to the shoulder, forearm and hand. The pain usually increases with wrist movements and disappears with rest. Symptoms include severe pain in the elbow when carrying or lifting something, and weakness in the hand on the affected side.
–Golfer's Elbow (Medial epicondylitis): Golfer's elbow is characterized by pain and tenderness in the bone protrusion on the inside of the elbow. It is a disease. It was given this name because it is seen very frequently in golfers. It can also be seen in people who write frequently and in carpenters, but it is not specific to athletes. The tendons of the arm muscles, which are responsible for the function of bending the wrist, attach to the medial epicondyle. Golfer's elbow may occur due to overuse of these muscles. As a result, inflammation and small tears occur in the tendons. Elbow pain is on the inner side of the elbow, can spread towards the inner edge of the forearm, and the pain increases when the hand is made into a fist.
–Soft tissue injuries
– Nerve compression syndromes (Cubital Tunnel syndrome and similar…)
– Pain reflected from the neck and shoulder (Neck herniation or pain originating from the shoulder)
– Inflammatory rheumatic diseases
– Arthritis (osteoarthritis)
Elbow pain may occur due to simple strain (straining a door handle, opening a jar, etc.) or due to traumatic events such as falling and hitting. It is also observed in post-operative situations. The most common cause is simple strain. If your elbow joint hurts and you cannot remember the reason, you may have unknowingly strained the ligament and capsule-like tissues surrounding the joint.
Elbow pain; Apart from elbow-related diseases, shoulder pain can also be caused by disorders that cause shoulder pain (shoulder compression, tear, etc.) or neck-related problems (e.g. cervical disc herniation, nerve compression in the neck, etc.)
The treatment of patients with such complaints should be planned after a thorough physical examination and, if necessary, radiological examinations (MRI, Direct Graph, EMG).
What kind of tests may be required for elbow pain?
Direct Radiography (X-ray): It shows the bone structure and is helpful in the diagnosis of fracture, dislocation or calcification.
EMG (Electro Myelograph): EMG examination may be required in patients with suspected nerve injury or nerve compression.
MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging): The majority of elbow pain originates from soft tissue. MRI is the most useful examination for imaging soft tissue, muscles, ligaments, cartilage structure and all similar structures.
What Treatments Can Be Applied for Elbow Pain?
When planning treatment, the person with the complaint must be examined and a decision must be made based on the results of the necessary radiological examinations.
Non-Surgical Treatments:
Although success is achieved with non-surgical treatment methods in the majority of patients, it is very important to plan the treatment gradually and according to the characteristics of the person.
Rest: In cases of acute and severe elbow pain, rest by protecting the elbow from strenuous movements, use of painkillers with edema-resolving properties and It is carried out by applying ice. If the elbow must be treated by immobilizing it with an arm sling or plaster splint-like applications, this period should not be continued for more than 15 days in order to prevent the elbow from freezing.
OZONE THERAPY: Medical ozone increases blood circulation. It is used in the treatment of elbow pain thanks to its ability to increase blood pressure. The effect of ozone in revitalizing organic functions in problems related to inflammation and infection, diseases of the bones, joints and connective tissues of the elbow makes this treatment very valuable.
Physical Therapy: It is a treatment that can be applied to elbow pain that does not go away with rest. Ten to fifteen sessions of physical therapy are often sufficient.
ESWT (Extracorporeal ShockWave Therapy): in short, ' 'Shock wave therapy' is a form of treatment based on focusing strong sound waves on the elbow area. Its working principle is based on the propagation of currents produced outside the body in the form of sound waves in the tissue.
CORTISONE (Elbow Injection): It is a treatment method applied with cortisone and its derivatives. When such a treatment is planned, the relevant injection must be performed by an orthopedic specialist and must be applied meticulously to the area to be applied due to the possible side effects of cortisone. It is not recommended to be applied more than twice a year.
SODIUM HYALURINATE (Elbow injection): Sodium Hyalurinate (popularly known as cockscomb) injections can be applied especially in elbow calcifications. Although it is a treatment method, patient selection and diagnosis are of great importance in the success of the treatment. Application more than once a year is not recommended.
PRP (Elbow Injection): The basic logic is to repair cartilage, tendons, ligaments, muscles and tissues thanks to platelet-rich plasma, or autologous conditioned plasma (ACP). It even takes advantage of the natural healing properties of blood to repair your bones. Since the application is prepared from the patient's own blood, it has no side effects. The application is carried out 3 or 5 times, depending on the patient's pain complaints, in at least two sessions, one week apart. With correct diagnosis and meticulous application, very successful and clear results are seen in the treatment of elbow pain.
STAM CELL THERAPY (Elbow Injection): Although they are in many tissues in the body. most commonly from tissues such as bone marrow, fat tissue or the synovial membrane lining the knee. stem cells are obtained. The tissue sample taken is purified by growing it in cell culture or using special centrifuge systems. It is especially applied in cases where the cause of elbow pain is due to calcification and cartilage damage. Successful results are achieved with correct diagnosis and meticulous application.
Surgical Treatments:
ELBOW ARTHROSCOPY: Elbow arthroscopy is an option that allows diseases of the shoulder joint to be treated with closed camera methods. This surgical method is now widely preferred in orthopedic surgical interventions for all patients (regardless of young, middle or advanced age) because it has short surgery times, short hospital stays (1 day) and allows patients to quickly return to their normal lives and work. Intervention with the arthroscopy method provides much better post-operative patient comfort compared to open surgery.
OPEN ELBOW SURGERY:
Elbow With the advancement of health technology in arthroscopy, the need for open surgery has decreased. However, it is applied in elbow diseases that cannot be treated with elbow arthroscopy. Surgeries mainly performed with open surgery;
– PLATE SCREW SURGERY applications for elbow fractures
p>
– ELBOW PROSTHESIS surgeries due to advanced elbow calcification, which does not seem to be treatable other than surgical treatment.
– Lateral or medial epicondylitis (Tennis elbow or Golfer's elbow) that does not go away despite all non-surgical applications. surgeries.
– Mini open nerve release surgeries for elbow pain due to nerve compression (nerve compression similar to Cubital Tunnel Syndrome…).
Read: 0
