There are numerous diseases or conditions of the elbow. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health or NIH, a person's elbow joint is composed of bone, cartilage, ligaments and fluid, and when any of the components are injured or diseased, a person experiences elbow pain and other symptoms. While trauma-related causes of elbow pain are common, diseases or conditions of the elbow joint can also manifest and cause problems.
Tennis Elbow
Tennis elbow is a disease or condition of the elbow joint. According to the Mayo Clinic website, tennis elbow, also known as lateral epicondylitis, is a relatively common overuse injury that affects a person's elbow. Tennis, as the condition's name implies, is one of numerous possible causes. Painting, raking and weaving can also cause tennis elbow. Tennis elbow is characterized by pain on the lateral or outside aspect of the elbow, where a person's forearm muscles attach to a bony bump or prominence. Common symptoms associated with tennis elbow include the following: elbow pain that radiates into the forearm and wrist, pain with wrist extension, forearm muscle weakness, progressive elbow pain, pain with gripping and an inability to hold objects such as a teacup. The Mayo Clinic website states that tennis elbow primarily is a disease or condition of overuse, and that repetitive motions and tissue stress may cause elbow inflammation or small tears in the elbow tendons.
Golfer's Elbow
Golfer's elbow is a disease or condition of the elbow joint. The Sports Injury Clinic website states that golfer's elbow--which is also known as thrower's elbow and medial epicondylitis--is similar to tennis elbow, except that it affects the inside or medial aspect of the elbow joint. Common symptoms associated with golfer's elbow include pain near the bony bump on the inside aspect of the elbow, wrist weakness, pain in the affected area when objects are forcefully gripped, pain with resisted wrist flexion and pain with wrist pronation or rotating the thumb downward. According to the Mayo Clinic website, golfer's elbow is not limited to golfers; tennis players and other people who perform repetitive wrist motion may also develop this disease or condition. The Mayo Clinic website also notes that the principle cause of golfer's elbow--repetitive forearm muscle strain--may be caused by the following activities, besides golf: racket sports, throwing sports and weight training, among others.
Cubital Tunnel Syndrome
Cubital tunnel syndrome is a disease or condition of the elbow joint. According to the American Society for Surgery of the Hand or ASSH, cubital tunnel syndrome involves increased pressure on the ulnar nerve as it travels through the elbow's cubital tunnel. Because the ulnar nerve lies in proximity to the medial epicondyle--the bony protuberance on the inside of the elbow--it is susceptible to pressure and altered function. If there is too much pressure on the ulnar nerve in the cubital tunnel, numbness, tingling and pain may be felt in the elbow, forearm, hand and fingers. ASSH states that common causes of pressure on the ulnar nerve in the cubital tunnel include the following: leaning on a surface with the elbows for a prolonged period, repetitive elbow bending and straightening, holding the elbow in a bent position for long periods of time and a thickening of the connective tissue overlying the nerve.
