Remedies for Elbow Pain

Elbow pain can make even the simplest of activities, such as opening a jar, difficult. There are many causes for elbow pain, including bursitis, arthritis, strain and tendinitis. Most are a result of overuse or misuse of the elbow joint. There are some basic remedies for elbow pain that can reduce the inflammation associated with the injury.

Reduce Swelling

• Swelling and inflammation are associated with chronic elbow pain from bursitis, arthritis and tendinitis. Acute injuries such as a strain also may have swelling that needs to be reduced. Ice the joint after use and several times a day for fifteen minutes. Over-the-counter anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen can be taken to help reduce prostaglandins, which increase enzyme flow into the injured area. Reducing the swelling will ease pressure on the area creating friction and pain.

Rest

• While this remedy is crucial, you may find it difficult to rest the joint enough to allow it to heal. Stopping the activities that aggravate the elbow pain is the best way to allow the swelling to go down and the joint to heal itself naturally.

Stretching

• One of the reasons the elbow becomes injured is a lack of flexibility in the joint and surrounding muscles, which causes unnecessary stress on the joint. Increasing your flexibility by doing extensor and flexor stretches. These are the muscle of the forearm that allow the hand to bend up or down. To stretch them, stretch your arm out in front of you chest-high. With your palm facing the ground, pull your fingers back, pointing up to the sky with your other hand. Then pull your fingers down toward the ground as far as they will go. These stretches should be felt in the forearm and not done to the point of pain.