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Your elbow is one of the most important joints in your body, allowing you to bend, straighten, and rotate your arm for everyday tasks. Whether you're lifting, reaching, or simply gripping, your elbow plays a crucial role in keeping you active and pain-free.
This complex hinge joint connects the upper arm to the forearm, supported by ligaments, tendons, and muscles that provide strength and stability. But when pain, stiffness, or injury strikes, even simple movements can become frustrating. Schedule a consultation today with one of our expert sports chiropractic physicians at Hughes Health and take your first step toward relief!
About the Elbow
Built for Strength & Precision
Your elbow is more than just a hinge. It’s a complex joint that allows you to bend, lift, and rotate your arm with precision.
Key Bones That Form the Joint:
1) Humerus (upper arm bone) – Provides strength and structure
2) Ulna (forearm bone) – Forms the primary hinge joint with the humerus that is on the pinky side of your arm
3) Radius (forearm bone) – Works alongside the ulna to allow rotation and is on the thumb side of your arm
Supporting Structures That Keep Your Elbow Moving:
1) Ligaments – Hold the joint together for stability
2) Muscles & Tendons – Power movement and control force
3) Cartilage – Cushions the joint for smooth, pain-free motion
With so many moving parts, it’s easy for pain, stiffness, or injury to disrupt your daily life. At Hughes Health, we pinpoint the root cause of elbow pain and create a customized treatment plan to restore function and keep you moving.
Common Causes of Elbow Pain
Understanding Why It Happens
If you’re experiencing elbow pain, you’re not alone. When pain strikes your elbow, it can be frustrating and difficult to pinpoint the cause on your own. That’s why getting expert guidance is key. Pain can stem from overuse, injuries, or even underlying conditions with each requiring the right approach to treatment.
As sports chiropractors in Westerville, OH, we see it all the time. The elbow is the location for many important muscle and tendon attachments, particularly the muscles in our forearm responsible for moving our fingers and hands. Because of the vast amount and variety of movements these muscles perform, overuse and repetitive movements are the #1 cause of elbow pain. Although elbow pain is not typically an emergency, it is important to address it when you have an issue to ensure it doesn’t get worse and cause problems elsewhere. For this reason, elbow pain is a very common condition that is treated by our doctors at Hughes Health.
Acute vs. Chronic Elbow Pain: What’s the Difference?
• Acute Elbow Pain happens suddenly, often due to an injury, car accident, or fall. The sooner you address it, the faster your recovery.
• Chronic Elbow Pain lasts more than 3 months and can be harder to treat because your body starts adapting to the discomfort. That’s why early intervention is key!
1) Tendinitis (Tennis Elbow & Golfer's Elbow) – Overuse or repetitive motions can inflame the tendons, leading to sharp pain on the inside or outside of the elbow. Left untreated, it can progress to tears and chronic pain.
2) Arthritis & Cartilage Damage – Wear and tear on the joint’s cartilage can lead to pain, stiffness, and limited mobility. Tears from sports, collisions, or falls can also cause joint instability.
3) Sprains & Strains – Ligament sprains and muscle strains happen when tissues are overstretched or injured, leading to pain and weakness.
4) Impingement – When a structure in your elbow is pinched or compressed, it can create sharp pain and restrict movement. It can also create a locking sensation in the joint.
The good news? There are many treatment options available, and you don’t have to navigate the pain alone. Our expert sports chiropractors can help you find the right solution so you can get back to moving, working, and living without limits.
Common Conditions of the Elbow
Your elbow has intricate connections of muscles and ligaments that work together to support your movement, strength, and stability. But when something goes wrong, whether from injury, inflammation, or wear and tear, it can lead to pain and mobility issues. Here’s a breakdown of some common conditions and what they mean for you.
Arthritis
If you hear a popping, clicking, or cracking sound in your elbow, it’s likely coming from the joint. This sound can sometimes be accompanied by pain and stiffness and is commonly caused by degeneration and wear and tear of the joint.
Elbow Bursitis
The bursa are fluid-filled sacs that cushion the bones and help the joint move smoothly. Elbow bursitis happens when one or more of these sacs become irritated or inflamed. It’s often caused by repetitive movements or a bone spur.
Golfer's Elbow
Golfer’s elbow, or medial epicondylitis, affects the tendons on the inside of your elbow. It occurs when these tendons become inflamed from repetitive strain. Although named after golfers, this condition is actually more common in those with repetitive motions involving the forearm, such as painters, contractors, and plumbers.
Tennis Elbow
Tennis elbow, or lateral epicondylitis, affects the tendons on the outside of your elbow. It’s also caused by repetitive strain on the tendon, often from actions like gripping, lifting, or twisting. Like golfer’s elbow, tennis elbow is more common in those who perform repetitive tasks, not just tennis players. It affects workers like contractors, painters, and anyone who uses their arms for manual labor.
UCL Tear (Ulnar Collateral Ligament Tear)
The UCL is a ligament inside your elbow that provides stability and rotation. A tear can happen from sudden trauma, such as a fall, or from repetitive stress, particularly in activities like pitching.
Ulnar Neuritis (Cubital Tunnel Syndrome)
Ulnar neuritis occurs when the ulnar nerve becomes compressed or irritated around the elbow. This leads to symptoms like numbness, tingling, and poor hand coordination. This condition is common in people who put repeated pressure on the elbow, such as athletes, manual laborers, or even people who sleep with their arm bent for long periods.
Treatments for the Elbow
Find Relief Once & For All
Before we are able to treat your elbow pain at Hughes Health, we must perform a detailed consultation and examination. We start with a one-on-one consultation where our doctors truly listen. We want to understand how your elbow pain is affecting your life, whether it's keeping you from working, exercising, or simply enjoying time with family. This conversation helps us gather key details that point us toward the root cause of your pain.
In the examination, we assess your movement, muscles, ligaments, and joints using chiropractic, orthopedic, and functional movement testing. Pain is your body’s way of signaling that something isn’t working right. Our job is to find out why. Once we pinpoint the cause, we create a personalized treatment plan to restore function and get you back to living pain-free—without unnecessary medications or surgery.
Sports Chiropractic: More Than Just Adjustments
At Hughes Health, we believe true recovery goes beyond spinal adjustments and manipulation. While we are chiropractors, we don’t just focus on your joints. We take a whole-body approach through Sports Rehabilitation to target the muscles and tissues that support you. Your body is more than just bones and joints, and your care should reflect that. By addressing movement, strength, and stability, we help you heal faster, stay active, and prevent future injuries so you can get back to doing what you love without limitations.
PiezoWave Focused Shockwave Therapy: Break Through Stubborn Pain
For chronic elbow pain, PiezoWave Shockwave Therapy uses focused and targeted sound waves to:
Break up scar tissue and adhesions
Increase blood flow for faster healing
Stimulate natural tissue repair—without surgery or downtime
Deep Tissue Class IV Laser Therapy: Heal from the Inside Out
Our Class IV Deep Tissue Laser uses light therapy to reduce pain and inflammation at the cellular level. This advanced treatment:
Boosts your body’s natural healing process
Reduces pain and inflammation in just 5-10 minutes
Feels like a gentle, warming sensation—no discomfort, just relief
Soft Tissue Manual Therapy: Digging Deep
At Hughes Health, we specialize in a wide variety of techniques to address the soft tissue causes of the pain.
Dry Needling: This targets tight or dysfunctional muscles by inserting small acupuncture needles into specific muscles and their trigger points to release tension and promote muscle recovery.
Fire Cupping: Using heated cups to create a suction effect on the skin helps increase blood flow to relieve muscle tightness and reduce pain. This warming effect has been shown to be more effective than the dry suction counterpart.
Graston Technique: Using specialized tools, we gently break up adhesions in your muscles and tendons, improving mobility and encouraging proper tissue healing.
Myofascial Release: Active Release Technique (ART), also known as manual trigger point release, takes your muscles through dynamic movement to release tension and alleviate pain at its source.
Sport Rehab and Custom Exercises: Build Strength, Prevent Injury
Pain relief is just the first step. Staying pain-free while moving and grooving is the goal. Our Custom Therapeutic Exercise Programs help you:
Strengthen muscles and improve mobility
Fix imbalances that cause recurring pain
Get back to doing what you love with confidence
The Right Care, Every Time
At Hughes Health, your recovery comes first. While we specialize in advanced chiropractic care and personalized treatment plans, we also know when you need more. If our exam reveals that additional care is necessary, we’ll connect you with our trusted network of physical therapists, orthopedic surgeons, neurosurgeons, and pain specialists. No guesswork, no wasted time—just the right care for the best results.
Your health is our priority. Let’s get you on the path to recovery today!
Why Choose
Hughes Health?
We take pride in providing evidence-based non-invasive approaches to healthcare. Our goal is to identify the root cause of your discomfort and pain to then provide effective and personalized treatment plans to help you achieve long-lasting results. If you're experiencing any of the conditions listed above, don't hesitate to contact us.