Pain in the elbow joint: the causes of appearance, treatment

Feeling the pain in the elbow joint, not everyone is trying to get to the doctor faster. Although discomfort in this place can significantly worsen the quality of life. Take into account, without consulting a specialist can not do, because, until you determine the factors that caused the pain, you can not get rid of it.

Causes of problems

Doctors call several possible ailments, which lead to the fact that there is pain in the elbow joint. The causes can be covered in the appearance of diseases such as arthritis and arthrosis. Also, the appearance of unpleasant sensations leads to gout, epicondylitis, bursitis. In case of trauma, dislocation, fracture or detachment of the process of the elbow joint can not be ruled out.

Regardless of whether the sharp pain in the elbow joint struck you, or is pursued by constant aching sensations, it is important to find a specialist who can determine what exactly led to it. Only then can an adequate treatment be prescribed. It can consist of taking painkillers, anti-inflammatory drugs, prescribing physiotherapy procedures, but in some cases even surgical intervention may be necessary.

It is impossible to delay a visit to a specialist if you can not relax or strain your hand. You also need to go to the doctor in cases where the pain does not go away for several days, worries at night or during rest periods. It is not necessary to wait, when the pain in an elbow joint becomes unbearable, the symptoms of pathologies of which can be not strongly expressed even at serious problems.

Arthritis

Quite often, the cause of unpleasant sensations are inflammatory processes in the joints. They, in turn, can be caused by infections, trauma, problems with metabolism, connective tissue diseases. Depending on the factors that caused the disease, there are rheumatoid, infectious, rheumatic, gouty arthritis. Each species requires a special approach to treatment.

Symptoms of arthritis are painful sensations when trying to bend an arm or pull it out. They increase in the period of rest and are facilitated by movement. In addition, patients note the swelling of the joint, because it develops edema. Also, in areas of affected areas, redness can occur, an increase in local temperature. In neglected states, the joints begin to crunch. In addition, people feel worse overall health.

Thus, rheumatoid arthritis occurs as a result of damage to the joint tissue by one of the types of streptococci. It is almost impossible to determine such a defeat and get rid of problems without the participation of doctors. Rheumatoid arthritis is caused by affection of connective tissue of autoimmune origin. It is characterized, in addition to joint pain, the appearance of nodules under the skin.

Infectious lesions can also cause pain in the elbow joint. The reasons lie in the fact that a viral, bacterial or even fungal agent enters the joint, provoking the appearance of pathology.

Gouty arthritis is caused by reactive inflammation, which appears as a result of the deposition of salts of uric acid. The latter problem is caused by metabolic disorders.

Treatment of arthritis

One of the main methods of getting rid of pain, is drug therapy. But in addition, the effectiveness of ultrasound procedures, the use of a magnet, mud applications has been proven. Relieve tension in the muscles can be with the help of electrotherapy. Often, thermal procedures are appointed: heating of problem areas with paraffin, salt heaters, ozocerite.

To stimulate the restoration of cartilage tissue helps the laser or the use of HILT-therapy. These methods also have an anti-inflammatory and analgesic effect.

Treatment of rheumatoid arthritis consists of taking anti-inflammatory drugs, cytotoxic drugs and even immunosuppressants. In addition, therapeutic exercise is prescribed. The doctor recommends such drugs as "Methotrexate", "Remicade", "Almag".

If it was found that the pain in the elbow joints of the hands has arisen because of the spread of the infection, antibiotics are prescribed even before the bacterial species is accurately established. They are immediately injected intravenously so that the medication is delivered to the affected area in sufficient quantity. Sometimes they begin to prick directly into the affected joint. Also, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can be prescribed simultaneously. When arthritis is most often used antibiotic "Ceftriaxone", "Ciprofloxacin", "Nafcillin", "Vancomycin" and others (depending on the type of infection).

Treatment of rheumatic arthritis consists of taking painkillers and prescribing physiotherapy procedures. But often this is not enough. Then the question arises about the need for surgical intervention. Often, acute pain in the elbow joint can only pass after the replacement of the joint or its partial removal. But to accept prosthetics is necessary only in extreme cases, when traditional methods do not give a result for a long time.

Gouty Arthritis

When you use a number of products in the body, uric acid is formed. It accumulates and begins to be deposited in the joints. Such a specific disease is called gouty arthritis. Suffer from him, as a rule, men aged 40-50 years. The risk factors for the development of the disease include heredity, the consumption of fatty foods, meat, alcohol. Also, the catalyst can be psoriasis, erythrocytosis, hyperparathyroidism and a number of other problems.

But the elbow joints gouty arthritis strikes extremely rarely. This disease is more susceptible to the joint of the first toe. But still, if you feel unbearable pain in the right elbow joint (or left) in the morning, which does not allow you to make any movements, and any touch only worsens your condition, then you can suspect the development of gouty arthritis. It passes, as a rule, for a few days without any treatment. But if you wait this period and do not go to a doctor, there is a risk that the disease will go into a chronic form. In this case, kidneys are affected, urolithiasis is diagnosed, uric acid is accumulated in the body.

Treatment of gouty arthritis is impossible without a diet that includes copious drinking, eating fresh vegetables, berries, fruits. Under the ban will get alcohol, fats, the amount of meat and salt consumed is reduced to a minimum. In addition, you need to increase your physical activity - it helps slow down the process of deposition of uric acid in the joints.

Osteoarthritis

A little less often doctors come to patients who complain of unpleasant sensations during movement, which take place at rest, on a constant crunch of joints. But more often people go to the hospital when they notice the deformity of the joints. This occurs, as a rule, with arthrosis.

This disease is characterized not only by moderate pain in the elbow joint, the causes of which lie in the change in the structure of the cartilaginous tissue, but also the growths that interfere with the movements. It arises as a result of excessive strain on the joint, and arthrosis can be a consequence of arthritis, hormonal failure or trauma.

To pick up treatment for such problems can only be an expert. These can be injections of hyaluronic acid, physiotherapy procedures, massage, manual therapy. Also prescribe funds related to hondoprotectors. These are such drugs as Arthra, Alflutop, Dona, Rumalon, Structum and others. In advanced cases, prosthetics may be necessary.

Signs of epicondylitis

Due to the peculiarities of some professions, people experience a static load on the muscles of the forearm. With such a problem, tennis players, masseurs, milkmaids, carpenters face. This load can lead to degenerative processes in the places where tendons are attached to small muscle ruptures. This is all the reason that there is pain in the elbow joint.

Epicondylitis is the most common problem faced by people in these occupations. But it can also occur after an overload, for example, after lifting a heavy weight (rod) or as a result of carrying a large bag in his hand for a long distance.

Epicondylitis is characterized by pain from the outer part of the elbow, which radiates in the forearm. It increases with movement, with palpation of the epicondyle located from the outer part of the humerus. In rest in most cases, patients do not bother. If you can not keep objects in a sick hand, then there is a chance that you have an epicondylitis. Also, the disease is accompanied by muscle atrophy, which are responsible for extension of the forearm, resulting in numbness of the fingers and pain in the shoulder.

Treatment of epicondylitis

It is important to know the following: you can not wait until this disease, also known as "tennis player's elbow", will pass by itself. Otherwise, it can go into a chronic form. As a result, your constant companion will be pain in the elbow joint. The reasons will be too late to seek, and the treatment will be prolonged for a long time.

When the diagnosis of "epicondylitis" is established, it is important to limit the motor activity of the affected joint and to remove physical activity. Often, ultrasound procedures are prescribed to remove the edema. Anesthetize the problem site and stimulate tissue repair with HILT-therapy and laser treatment. Electrotherapy can be used to stimulate or relax the muscles. Resumption of mobility of joints, pain relief, softening of seals is possible after the appointment of shock wave procedures. By the way, they are mandatory for epicondylitis.

As a rule, with appropriate treatment, unpleasant symptoms disappear quickly enough. But this is not a reason to refuse therapy. Unfinished sessions can cause you to have a permanent pain in the elbow joint with time, which will be difficult to get rid of, because an untreated disease can go into a chronic form.

Bursitis

In case of infection, injury or overstrain of the joint in a special bag with synovial fluid, which has a softening effect during movements, inflammation can begin. Such a disease is called bursitis. It can cause both pain in the right elbow joint, and the corresponding sensations in the left. The disease is accompanied by reddening of the affected area, swelling, local hyperthermia. This is due to the fact that the shell cells of the bag produce excess fluid, and this causes the joint to protrude.

The pain with bursitis grows proportionally to the increasing size of the ulnar bag. In the absence of treatment, this can lead to limited mobility of the hand and numbness of the fingers. If the exudate becomes infected, there will be signs of general intoxication.

Treatment of the disease

In order to make an accurate diagnosis and not to confuse bursitis with rheumatoid arthritis, ultrasound examination is necessary. In the treatment it is important to establish the exact subtype of the disease. It is also necessary to know that the ailment is accompanied only by aching pain in the elbow joint, which can increase in the absence of adequate treatment.

If bursitis develops as a result of trauma, then it is better to use cold to reduce the edema. The hospital can even do a procedure called local cryotherapy. Starting from the second day, it is already possible to warm up the affected area. Sometimes doctors diagnose purulent bursitis. In this case, antibiotics are necessary. In addition to this therapy, puncture and drainage of the bursal joint are also performed. In rare cases, even its removal is necessary.

Serous bursitis can be treated with anesthetic and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Drugs such as Ibuprofen, Codeine, and Nurofen Gel can be recommended.

Traumatic lesions

But not always unpleasant sensations in the field of the elbow arise because of the development of any disease. Severe pain in the elbow joint can be with a dislocation. In most cases, it is accompanied by swelling and even numbness in the affected area. Often with such dislocations facing children's surgeons. Note that the cause of such problems in most cases are parents who catch the child's hand or decide to lift it by holding one hand. It is impossible to direct dislocation independently, because the elbow joint is one of the most fragile. This should be done only by a doctor, after the procedure, a fixative bandage must always be applied.

Also, a sharp pain in the left elbow joint (as well as in the right elbow) may indicate a fracture. The cause of its appearance may be an unsuccessful fall, an accident or a blow. The victim can not move his hand or even strain it. Fracture is accompanied by bruising, numbness of fingers, pain. The same symptoms can also be with the detachment of the elbow process.

To facilitate the condition, doctors can immediately make an injection of novocaine. It is important to go to the X-ray, and to confirm the fracture, apply a cast. To accelerate the recovery, physiotherapeutic procedures can also be prescribed. In the early days can not do without anesthetics. Prescribe drugs such as Sedalgin, Ketarol, Ibuprofen, Naproxen.