Swelling of the elbow might be very uncomfortable and unpleasant sensation, especially if it is followed by stiffness and warmth. This type of problem usually affects the range of motion of the elbow joint so the affected person cannot perform certain actions. Some patients have even reported hand functions being affected by swelling of the elbow.
Possible Causes of Swollen Elbow
Sport activities are often found to be the reasons for swelling of the elbow. Different kinds of exercise or twisting of the arm or the hand may provoke this swelling, as well as some bad falls. These activities usually affect ligaments, tendons or even bones in the elbow, thus causing swelling and pain. To be more precise, these can result in overstretched or torn ligament or tendon as well as dislocation or even fracture of the bone and the mentioned injuries are known to provoke elbow swelling.
Repetitive use of the elbow joint, operating machinery using your hands or playing a certain instrument for a long period of time may provoke similar health problems.
Certain medical conditions can also be blamed for elbow swelling. Patients suffering from tendinitis, bursitis or arthritis are often complaining about similar problems.
Tendonitis is actually an inflammation of the tendons of the joints. Since tendons connect our bones with muscles, any irritation and inflammation affects the joint and provokes tenderness and swelling of that particular part of the body. The most common injuries of this type are found among golfers (golfer’s elbow) and tennis players (tennis elbow).
Bursitis is a medical term for inflammation and swelling of the bursae sacks near the joints in the body. Most of the patients suffering from this problem have been performing certain repetitive elbow movements and this is the root cause of their elbow issue.
Arthritis is yet another possible explanation for swelling of the elbow. There are many different types of this disease and some can be the reason for the pain and swelling of the elbow one is suffering from.
Less Common Causes of Swollen Elbow
If the swelling wasn’t caused by any of above mentioned actions or conditions, there are chances one is suffering from certain infections of the elbow joint. This problem may also occur in diabetic patients or be a side effect of some medications. Sometimes, drug addicts may also experience this problem with the elbow. Additionally, damage to some of the nerves in the body, diseases of the connective tissue or even different tumors in the elbow may provoke elbow pain and swelling.
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