Wrist and elbow joint pain can be caused by a number of health-related illnesses. If left untreated, joint pain associated with disease may eventually lead to joint deformity. According to MayoClinic.com, a physician should be contacted if pain in the wrist and elbow get worse or make movement difficult or impossible.
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis is a condition that affects the joints. It occurs when the body's immune system mistakenly identifies its own tissue as a foreign invader. The immune system attacks these tissues, causing damage and inflammation, typically in the joints. According to MayoClinic.com, rheumatoid arthritis commonly affects smaller joints first---wrist, hands, ankles and feet. It can eventually begin to attack the larger joins in the knees, elbows and shoulders.
Common symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis include painful swelling in the joints, morning stiffness and joints that are tender to the touch. Other symptoms can include weight loss, fatigue, fever and red puffy hands. Rheumatoid arthritis may occur suddenly--known as a flare-up--and can vary in severity. Rheumatoid arthritis may gradually destroy tissue in the joints. There is no cure for rheumatoid arthritis so the goal of treatment is to prevent further tissue damage and lessen the severity and frequency of occurrences.
Tendinitis
According to MayoClinic.com, tendinitis is an inflammation of the tendons near the joints that is typically caused by repetitive motion. Joints commonly affected by tendinitis include the wrists and elbows. Tendinitis can also affect the shoulders and knees. Some common activities that cause these particular areas to be affected by tendinitis are tennis, golf, swimming and pitching. Symptoms of tendinitis include pain, tenderness and mild swelling. If tendinitis is left untreated the risk of experience of a tendon rupture is high.
Treatment for tendinitis is centered on relieving pain and reducing inflammation. Home treatment for light to moderate cases of tendinitis includes resting and icing the joints. Often, this is the only necessary treatment.
Bursitis
Bursitis is a condition that causes wrist and elbow pain. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, bursitis is a condition that occurs when the bursae--small fluid-filled sacs near the joints that act as cushions among muscle and tendons--become inflamed. This inflammation causes pain and swelling in the affected areas.
Symptoms of bursitis include joints that feel stiff, achy or hurt with movement. Putting any kind of pressure on the joints may also cause discomfort. A physician should be contacted If pain lasts more than two weeks or if there is disabling joint pain, sharp shooting pain or excessive swelling. Bursitis usually occurs in joints that experience repetitive motion, whether through exercising, participating in sports or similar activities.
The best treatment for a case of bursitis is to quit the movement that may be causing the flare-up. To ease discomfort, ice may be applied to the affected area to reduce swelling. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs, can be taken to relieve pain and reduce the inflammation in the joints.
