Physiotherapy For Elbow Pain
Get Your Swing Back
The elbow pain is a ‘hinge joint’ that is made up of the humerus (upper arm) and its connections with the radius and ulna (Your forearm bones). While the main movements of the elbow are flexion and extension (bending and straightening) your arm, it is also critical in pronation and supination (rotation up or down) of the forearm. Elbow Pain can be caused by damage, degeneration or irritation of any of the soft tissue, or bony structures around the elbow. Given how commonly the elbow is used for every day manual activities, it is a common source of pain for people in Canada.
Your physiotherapist will perform a thorough examination of your elbow and the surrounding joints in order to fully understand how your elbow pain is affecting you and your life. With this information they will be able to create a personalized program to treat your elbow pain. Typically, this might involve modalities likes IMS dry needling, Shockwave Therapy, Laser Therapy, or Graston Technique designed to decrease your pain levels and return your back to full mobility and function. Your treatment plan will also include exercises to help you to return to full function and prevent any future recurrences.
Types Of Elbow Pain We Treat
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The elbow can flex and extend, as well as pronate and supinate the forearm. However, it is also critical in the function of the wrist and hand.
16 muscles cross the elbow joint, with many of them being the prime movers of your hand, fingers and wrist. Most of the muscles that flex (bend) your wrist actually originates on the medial (middle side) side of your elbow joint. With overuse or misuse of these muscles, their tendinous origin point can become sore causing Golfer’s Elbow. While this condition is seen in the golfing population, this can occur in any person who performs grip dominant activities.
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Like the wrist flexors, most of the muscles that extend (straighten) the wrist originate from the lateral (outside) side of your elbow joint.
These extensor muscles share a common insertion point at the elbow called the “common extensor origin”, and overuse or misuse of these muscles can cause pain and irritation at this point. This is called Tennis Elbow. It is commonly seen in people who perform grip-based sports or activities (like tennis), manual workers, or people who use vibrating machinery.