Elbow Pain - MSK
Elbow Pain - MSK
Elbow pain most commonly arises due to excessive repetitive activities. In some cases, it is caused following an injury.
What can I do myself to get better – now and in the future
- Rest – Arm and elbow pain and generally best managed, at least initially, with relative rest. It may help to wear a splint during the day (but you should take this off at night or when resting). When exercising, ensure you warm up gently and properly to help avoid injury.
- Cold – Apply ice packs or a bag of frozen peas (wrap in a cloth to prevent ice burns) and apply to the painful area to help reduce inflammation and relieve pain.
- Elevation – If swelling. Try to keep the arm elevated above the level of the heart if possible, to help reduce any swelling
- Painkillers – taking regular doses of painkillers like ibuprofen, paracetamol, or a combination, are often helpful. Alternatively, you may prefer to use ‘rub on’ (topical) versions instead. Speak to your pharmacist for further information.
- Appliances – Tennis and golfers elbow will often benefit from an appropriate splint which may be purchased from your pharmacist or online.
- If you have severe pain, tingling, or numbness in the arm or fingers, or if your limb feels cold, after an injury, or if you think you may have broken your arm (for example it is severely swollen or appears to be deformed).
- If the joint becomes hot, red, swollen and tender, and/or you feel feverish so you should see your doctor straight away.

- Tennis Elbow – pain on the outside of the elbow
- Golfers Elbow – pain on the inside of the elbow
- Both the above conditions usually occurs after overuse activity of the muscles and tendons of the forearm, near the elbow joint. It is most common between the ages of 40-60. Almost 80% of people recover with self-management advice.
- Elbow Osteoarthritis – Pain and grinding in the elbow joint itself on movement with restriction of range of movement may represent arthritis ‘wear ‘ within the joint . Rare under 40 years of age.
- Ulnar Neuritis – also known as Cubital Tunnel syndrome. Repetitive movement or prolonged bending at the elbow may irritate the ulnar nerve (‘funny bone’) as it winds around the inside of the elbow joint. Because of the route followed by the nerve it results in tingling and numbness in the fourth and fifth fingers of the affected hand.
