Elbow Pain

The orthopedic team frequently sees patients suffering from elbow pain from sports, such as tennis or golf, or from work related injuries.   To schedule an appointment with a elbow pain specialist at MetroSouth Medical Center, call 708-489-7925.

The elbow is a joint made up of three bones and bends and straightens like a hinge. Common causes of elbow pain include:

• Arthritis: Inflammation of the elbow joint, usually accompanied by pain, swelling and stiffness.
   
• Bursitis: Inflammation of the bursa, a small, fluid-filled sac that provides a cushion between bones, tendons and muscles around a joint.
   
• Elbow dislocation: Temporary displacement of bones that comprise the elbow joint.
   
• Elbow subluxation: A condition in which the ball of a joint slips partially out of the socket and then pops back into place.
   
• Golf elbow or medial epicondylitis: Pain and inflammation caused by strain or overuse of the elbow joint.
   
• Strain or sprain: Injury to the ligament, muscle or tendon caused by stretching or overexertion.
   
• Tennis elbow or lateral epicondylitis: Inflammation of the outer part of the elbow, causing pain
  and tenderness, usually caused by strain or overuse.

• Ulnar collateral tear: Injury to the fibrous band of tissue that connects bones that comprise the elbow. Repair of this injury is sometimes called “Tommy John” surgery, so-named because a baseball pitcher by that name was the first professional athlete to undergo the surgery.