Introduction
Elbow problems can really cramp your style, no matter if you're an athlete, desk jockey, or weekend warrior. Let's dive into five elbow injuries that are all too familiar, what might be causing them, and how you can get back in the game. At FlexLifeGear, we've got your back (or rather, in this case, your elbow) with medical equipment that can make your recovery smoother. But before we elbow our way in with helpful tips, remember that its always a good idea to see a Health Professional, especially if your pain and lack of mobility does not return in a couple days
Here Are Some Common Issues
- Tennis Elbow (Lateral Epicondylitis)
What's Likely Causing It: Doing the same hand-heavy tasks over and over, like gripping tools or playing a bit too much tennis. This is especially easy to do when you are dehydrated so remember to get plenty of fluids, especially a good amount of clean unflavored flat tap water.
Helpful Tips:
- Give your elbow a break from the troublemaker activities.
- Consider using an elbow brace or strap to ease the pain.
- Electrotherapy can also help reduce pain and promote healing.
- When feeling better, try special exercises that can help strengthen your forearm.
- Physical therapy sessions might be your game-changer.
- Golfer's Elbow (Medial Epicondylitis)
What's Likely Causing It: Overdoing things that involve bending your wrist and fingers a lot, whether it's golf or heavy lifting. We’ve been there, when you just had to take another mulligan because there was no way you were going to fish out another ball or try to hit around another tree.
Helpful Tips:
- Take a timeout from activities that make it hurt…this is not like taking a mulligan.
- An elbow brace or compression sleeve can be your new best friend.
- Electrotherapy is an option to zap away the pain.
- Ease back into exercises that stretch and strengthen your arm.
- Physical therapy can whip your elbow back into shape.
- Elbow Tendonitis
What's Likely Causing It - Your elbow tendons are inflamed because you've been pushing them too hard or doing the same moves again and again – very common when you are pushing too hard on a chest or arm day and either didn’t stretch and/or haven’t had enough water.
Helpful Tips:
- Give your elbow some TLC by resting it.
- Ice it and maybe consider some pain meds (check with a doc first!).
- Special exercises can help get your elbow back in the groove.
- Modify your activities so they don't bug your elbow.
- You might want to give Electrotherapy a try.
- Ulnar Collateral Ligament (UCL) Injury
What's Likely Causing It: Throwing stuff around a lot, like baseballs, can put your elbow's UCL at risk. This injury can become more prevalent without proper hydration, lack of stretching, not having enough recovery between stressful activities, and prolonged movement that creates added stress on your elbow.
Helpful Tips:
- Know when to throw in the towel (temporarily and not literally) and rest your arm.
- A brace can help keep things stable while you heal.
- Physical therapy is like a personal coach for your elbow.
- In some cases, surgery might be the winning play (definitely see a doc for this one).
- Desk Jockey Elbow aka Cubital Tunnel Syndrome
Ok, so we made up "Desk Jockey Elbow", but Cubital Tunnel Syndrome is real and can be very painful. It’s different from Carpal Tunnel Syndrome as it affects the outside of your hand vs the inside of your hand (we’ll explore more about this injury when we talk about wrists)
What's Likely Causing It: Your ulnar nerve is getting pinched because you're keeping your elbow bent for too long or applying too much pressure on it. Although she might have not know it, this is one of the reasons why your mother might have told you to not put your elbows on the table.
Helpful Tips:
- Avoid making things worse with activities that strain your elbow.
- Use a cushy brace or splint to keep your arm straight while you sleep.
- Try special exercises to get your nerve gliding smoothly (chat with your pro).
- If things don’t get better, surgery might be the way to go.
Conclusion
Although we might have put a little too much elbow grease in trying to make this blog post fun - all kidding aside Elbow issues are no joke. Don't worry; we've got your elbows covered. At FlexLifeGear, we offer a variety of “gear” to make your recovery journey smoother. Remember, early intervention and the right treatment can get you back to your best self…so, if you're wrestling with an elbow injury, we encourage you to chat with your healthcare professional and feel free to explore our products to help you on the road to recovery. We're here to support your elbow's comeback so you can return to what you love to do!