What Causes Severe Elbow Pain?

The elbow is used for a lot of daily functions such as eating, drinking and driving a car. When elbow pain sets in, especially severe pain, these daily functions can become quite difficult to perform. There are several different reasons for severe elbow pain to develop.

Tennis Elbow

• Tennis elbow is caused from excessive flexing and extending of the elbow. It can also occur from repetitive painting, raking and cutting meat.

Dislocation

• Dislocation can occur when there is a lot of stress put on the elbow, causing the bones to get jarred out of place. This can happen from an accident, a fall or from getting hit in a sport like football.

Arthritis

• Arthritis is a condition where the joints in the elbow become inflamed and swollen, which can cause severe pain.

Gout

• Gout is a condition where there is an excess amount of uric acid in the body. This uric acid ends up pooling at the joints causing pain.

Hyperextension

• When the elbow gets bent backwards farther then its normal range of motion, a hyperextension can occur. When this happens, ligaments and tissues in the elbow get damaged and severe pain can develop.