A baseball pitcher throws a fastball. After the game, he notices that his elbow hurts. He grabs an ice pack, placing it on the inside of his elbow, and heads for the door.
A telephone salesman wins a prize for the most sales in his department. He gets in his car to drive to his favorite restaurant to celebrate, shrugging off the tingling sensations in his ring finger and little finger and the sharp pain on the inside of his elbow.
When a golfer makes contact with the ball, they wince at the elbow, causing the club to drop. He grabs his arm, wondering what could be wrong.
What do all these situations have in common? Everyone has pain on the inside of the elbow. So they all have the same diagnosis, right?
Wrong! Like the rest of your arm, the anatomy in this region is complex and intricate, so many structures can cause inner elbow pain. Bend your elbows at a 90-degree angle and bring them alongside your body. The part that touches the sides is the inner or medial elbow. This article looks at three of the most common causes of elbow pain at this location.
The baseball pitcher suffers from a medial collateral ligament (MCL) strain, as a result of repetitive twisting and stress on the elbow during pitching. Small tears and overstretching of the ligament occur, eventually leading to laxity and instability in the elbow. See a doctor if you suspect you have this condition. Early treatment should include a launch analysis by an experienced physical or occupational therapist. They can identify biomechanical problems and offer suggestions to correct technique. If ignored, MCL strains can progress to the point of requiring surgery.
Cubital tunnel syndrome is the likely culprit behind the seller’s symptoms. It occurs when pressure is placed on the ulnar nerve, which is located behind the bony bump on the inside of the elbow. Do you remember the last time you hit your funny bone? Well, that pain was the result of you hitting your ulnar nerve, which feels anything but fun! In the early stages, you will feel pain on the inside of your elbow and you may notice tingling in your ring and little fingers. This condition can also progress if ignored, so it’s important to make an appointment with your doctor if you have these symptoms. Treatment includes splinting and stretching, but focuses on modifying activities that aggravate the nerve. Again, ignoring these symptoms for long periods of time may require surgery to remove pressure from the nerve.
In fact, the golfer has the characteristic “golfer’s elbow,” which is caused by inflammation of a tendon in the middle of the elbow. This tendon attaches the muscles that bend the wrist and fingers to the bony bump on the inside of the elbow. Seeking treatment in the early stages of this condition is also best because healing times are slower when any tendonitis becomes chronic. Identifying aggravating activities and learning how to modify them can help decrease pain and prevent symptoms from getting worse. Surgery is rare for this condition, even in chronic stages, but it may be an option of last resort.
The above examples have shown that inner elbow pain can be the result of ligament, nerve, or tendon damage. The take home message is to seek your doctor’s advice in the early stages to prevent the condition from worsening!