Bending your elbow allows you to do many different daily tasks. It gives you the ability to drink your morning coffee. This movement helps you bring your cellphone up to your face so you can see that funny video a friend sent you. However, normal daily tasks like these can become much more difficult when your elbow starts hurting. Here are three reasons it may hurt to bend your elbow:
- Tennis elbow — This condition is known as lateral epicondylitis to medical professionals, and it can affect up to 3% of the U.S. population annually. This means that up to about 10 million people are at risk of this injury every year based on the current U.S. population. Tennis elbow happens when the tendons on the outside of your elbow are overstretched or damaged. This injury doesn’t just affect tennis players. It can affect any sports player or worker who makes repetitive and stressful elbow movements.
- Golfer’s elbow — The elbow can also hurt when you bend it if you have golfer’s elbow. Studies report that this issue can affect about 1.3 million Americans every year. This condition has similar symptoms to tennis elbow, but it affects the tendons on the inside of the elbow. There are several factors that can cause this condition. Lifting too much weight during weight training sessions could cause it. Playing golf, racket sports or sports that involve lots of throwing movements can also lead to golfer’s elbow.
- Arthritis — Arthritis is another reason it may hurt to bend your elbow. Medical researchers estimate that more that 6.6 million U.S. residents are living with elbow osteoarthritis. This condition occurs when the cartilage at the ends of the elbow bones wears away over time. Such wearing is typically a natural result of aging, but the wearing can be increased by repetitive work-related movements and elbow injuries. The cartilage wearing leads to the inflammation that makes your elbow harder to bend without pain.
Excel Sports & Physical Therapy can help you if it hurts to bend your elbow
Does your elbow hurt every time you bend it? Excel Sports & Physical Therapy is ready and willing to help treat your pain. Our clinics are staffed with experienced therapy specialists, and they offer free screenings designed to pinpoint the source of your elbow pain. Using this information, our team can create a personalized therapy plan to treat your symptoms, and this plan may include therapy techniques like:
Take the next step to start getting our help with your elbow pain. Contact our team today for more information about how we can help or to schedule an initial appointment.
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