Swollen elbows are normally the result of an injury to the joint or surrounding soft-tissue, including ligaments, tendons and muscles. These injuries include tennis elbow, tendinitis and bursitis. Ice, compression and anti-inflammatory drugs are common remedies for elbow injuries and swelling. Consult your physician for persistent swelling and pain.
Causes and Injuries
Repetitive activities in sports such as tennis and golf can cause elbow injuries, leading to pain and swelling. Tennis elbow is inflammation of the soft-tissue on the outside of your elbow, whereas golfer’s elbow is swelling of the soft-tissue on the inside of the elbow. Elbow tendinitis is when tendons around your elbow, such as your biceps tendon, become inflamed and deteriorate. Additional causes of a swollen elbow include fractures, bruises and bursitis, or inflammation of your bursa sac.
Rest
The first line of defense against swelling is rest. Avoiding painful and irritating activities, such as tennis and golf, can help decrease swelling and prevent a recurrence. If minor elbow movements cause pain, wearing a sling can help alleviate pain and swelling. Rest also helps promote healing. The duration of your rest period varies based on the type and severity of your injury.
Ice and Compression
Ice and compression are effective remedies for swelling, especially when combined with rest. Applying ice to your elbow causes vasoconstriction, narrowing of your blood vessels. This helps manage your body’s inflammatory response and reduces swelling. Ice three to four times a day for 20-minute intervals.
Compression is applied by wrapping an elastic wrap from your mid-forearm to your upper arm or shoulder. Wear the elastic wrap throughout the day to push existing swelling out and keep it out.
Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen, are taken orally to reduce swelling. These drugs work by inhibiting certain chemicals, such as cyclooxygenase, released during the inflammatory response. When these chemicals are restricted, swelling is reduced. Anti-inflammatory drugs, however, can upset your stomach and, therefore, should be taken with food. If you are taking other medications such as blood pressure medications, consult your doctor before taking anti-inflammatory drugs.
Corticosteroid Injections
Corticosteroid injections also inhibit chemicals released during the inflammatory response, reducing swelling. A major benefit of using corticosteroid injections is that your doctor injects the corticosteroids directly into your injured and swollen elbow, avoiding an upset stomach and nausea. Although these injections do not cause nausea, they can cause pain at the injection site, infection and delayed healing. Furthermore, research published in 2009 in the “Annuals of the Rheumatic Diseases” found that corticosteroid injections were no more effective than nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in treating elbow tendinitis.
Physical Therapy
Physical therapists use modalities, such as ultrasound and electrical stimulation, to reduce swelling and promote healing. Additional remedies include massage, activity modifications and compression cuffs, which perform a pumping action around your elbow to reduce swelling. Performing exercises and stretches later on in physical therapy may help prevent additional elbow injuries and swelling.
References
- “Principles of Pharmacology for Athletic Trainers”; Joel Houglum, et al.; 2005
- “Current Review of Musculoskeletal Medicine”; Proximal Wrist Extensor Tendinopathy; Joseph Ihm; 2008
- “Clinical Sports Medicine”; Diagnosis and Treatment of Medial Epicondylitis of the Elbow; Michael C. Coccitti, M.A., R.A., et al.; 2004
- American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: Elbow (Olecranon) Bursitis; January 2011
- “Annuals of the Rheumatic Diseases”; Efficacy and Safety of Steroid Injections for Shoulder and Elbow Tendonitis; C. Gaujoux-Viala, et al.; 2009
- “American Family Physician”; Common Overuse Tendon Problems: A Review and Recommendations for Treatment; John J. Wilson, M.D., et al.; Sept. 1, 2005
