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Elbow Injuries From Overuse

The elbow is a hinge joint which enables a person to pull or push objects. People can sometimes injure their elbow from overusing it, and athletes and weightlifters are particularly prone to elbow injuries. These injuries can vary from simple inflammation to more serious tears.

  1. Tennis Elbow

    • The most common elbow injury is tennis elbow or tendinitis. This usually occurs when muscles and tendons in your arm continually rub against the lateral epicondyle, a prominent bony structure on the outside of your elbow (thumb or radius side). Symptoms include inflammation and pain while extending or flexing the forearm. If you have tendinitis you should rest your arm and apply ice at 20-minute intervals.

    Golfer's Elbow

    • Golfer's elbow is another form of tendinitis. It causes pain on the inside or ulnar side of your elbow. This condition is caused when arm tendons and muscles rub against the medial epicondyle, the prominent inside elbow bone. Repetitive inward motions of your arm such as swinging a golf club or doing cable pulls (chest exercises) at the gym can spur inflammation in this area. Rest and ice are the best treatments for this injury.

    Anterior Elbow Strain

    • Anterior elbow strain occurs in the tendons of the lower bicep and forearms. If you lift weights and perform a lot of bicep curls you could injure this area. Hammer curls (holding dumbbells vertically) can especially injure this area. Flexor muscles in the forearm overlap the elbow on the outside of the biceps. These muscles are most affected by anterior elbow strain.

    Posterior Elbow Strain

    • Inflammation or tendinitis in the lower triceps affects the back or posterior of the elbow. Triceps tendons are connected to the humerus bone in the elbow region. If you perform a lot of seated or standing dip exercises you can potentially injure tendons in your lower triceps. Gymnasts are also susceptible to this injury. Boxers can also have problems with triceps tendinitis by constantly jabbing and punching bags and opponents.

    Ligament Strains and Tears

    • The overuse of the elbow by heavy lifting can cause ligament strains and tears. The ulnar collateral ligament on the inside of the elbow is particularly vulnerable to such injuries. Baseball players can develop inflammation in this ligament or in the radial collateral ligament. They can even tear these ligaments which usually require surgery. Ligament damage can be very painful. Nerve endings are often compressed which can exacerbate the pain. Strains can be treated with rest and ice. Ligaments take longer to heal because blood flow is limited to them.

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