Elbow pain can be debilitating and interfere with everyday activities, making it especially important to get a proper diagnosis. Fortunately, Dr. Hicken is an experienced orthopaedic surgeon dedicated to providing the proper treatment options to relieve elbow pain and help people return to their usual activities.


Common Causes of Elbow Pain

Common causes of elbow pain include injuries resulting from sports activities, overuse injuries, tendinitis, bursitis, and arthritis. In these cases, the symptoms are localized swelling and tenderness around the area of injury. Treatments such as rest and physical therapy are typically recommended first before Dr. Hicken recommends more invasive treatments such as surgery.

Sports Injuries

Sports injuries are one of the most common causes of elbow pain and are usually caused by repetitive motion that can lead to inflammation or even small tears in the tendons or ligaments surrounding the joints in your arm. Resting for a few days or wearing a brace can be enough if the injury is minor but more serious cases require physical therapy or even surgery depending on what is causing the pain.

Overuse Injuries

Overuse injuries involve repeated use of the elbow joint that causes excessive wear and tear on your joints. Without sufficient rest periods, overuse injuries can become chronic conditions that worsen over time until they require professional intervention from Dr. Hicken who is equipped with advanced knowledge when it comes to diagnosing these kinds of ailments. Treatment may include physical therapy as well as medications depending on how severe the injury is.

Tendinitis

Tendinitis occurs when there is inflammation in and around a tendon due to an infection or injury oftentimes caused by overusing certain muscles repeatedly without allowing them adequate time to heal between uses. Tenderness when touching around the affected area usually indicates this type of injury and should not be ignored as it will only become worse if left untreated for too long. Dr. Hicken will then likely advise you on appropriate rest times, stretches and exercises while also prescribing anti-inflammatory medications if needed

Bursitis

Bursitis affects the small sacs found next to a joint, known as bursae. These sacs fill up with fluid and become inflamed after being irritated due to pressure within them during movement, like swinging an arm backhand in tennis for example. This can cause extreme tenderness around that region, leading people to seek help from experts such as Dr. Hicken. His treatments might include resting and injections containing corticosteroids into those areas, along with physical therapy exercises that increase strength while decreasing any discomfort associated with bursitis symptoms.

Arthritis

Arthritis may affect any joint, including elbows, causing extreme stiffness along with swelling when pressing on them due to damage done inside from both age-related degeneration or even trauma. This makes it extremely difficult for those suffering from this condition without proper treatment given by professionals like Dr. Hicken. He often prescribes both topical cream applications plus oral medication, geared at managing systemic inflammation throughout the entire body, thus relieving some pressure off affected joints.

By partnering up with Dr. Hicken’s team, you have access to an experienced orthopaedic specialist, plus access to various treatments available for whatever condition you’re facing. Dr. Hicken can get to the bottom of what you’re experiencing with a proper diagnosis and provide effective remedies so you can once again go back living life, free from those troublesome elbow pain.