IBJI Blog

The Elbow Joint Explained

Like the joints in your fingers the elbow is considered a hinge joint, which means that it allows for motion forward and back (flexion and extension) with very minimal twisting. The elbow joins together three bones, the humerus in the upper arm and the radius and ulna in the lower arm. The funny bone in your elbow is a large bony projection from the ulna called the olecranon. A membrane surrounds the entire joint with ligaments joining the three bones together. Two tendons, which attach the bones in your elbow to your muscle, are the primary facilitators or joint movement.

Potential Causes of Elbow Pain

There are quite a few reasons for pain to be occurring in your elbow. Sudden injury, repetitive motion, infections, inflammation, and diseases are all common causes of pain to the elbow.

Elbow Injuries

Injuries can include fractures to the joint, sprains, strains, dislocation, and torn ligaments. Another potential injury related condition, called osteochondritis dissecans, occurs when a small piece of cartilage and bone is separated causing the potential for the elbow to lock in place. Elbow injuries usually occur following a sudden trauma, like hyperextension or impacts, as opposed to repetitive motion injuries and syndromes.

Infections In The Elbow

An infection can occur spontaneously but also may be seen after a surgery or infection elsewhere in the body. Of course an untreated cut or break in the skin near the elbow can also lead to an infection. An infection can cause other issues, namely inflammation, to manifest

Repetitive Motion

Golfers elbow and tennis elbow are two common repetitive motion syndromes that occur in the elbows of adults. Pitchers elbow is another repetitive motion injury that usually only affects growing kids that take part in sports that require throwing, like baseball.

Why Does Your Shoulder Hurt?

Before you start looking at specific reasons for your shoulder pain it is important to first understand why your shoulder is susceptible to injury and disease. Your shoulder is an amazing joint that allows you an incredibly wide range of motion.   This range of motion is extremely beneficial but it comes at a price; decreased stability. Since the shoulder is so unstable, often the bones, muscle, and tissue of the shoulder are damaged while they try to support your arm during all of the movement it endures.

How A Shoulder Works

Your shoulder is a complex ball and socket joint made up of many bones, muscles, tendons, and ligaments. The three bones that comprise the shoulder joint are the humorous, scapula and clavicle. The ball portion of the joint is situated on top of the humorous bone and then sits inside the socket of the scapula.  Supporting the joint are ligaments, which connect the separate bones to each other. Motion is caused by the tendons, which tie together the bones and muscles.  There are a group of tendons that hold the ball into the socket called the rotator cuff. The bursae are the sacks that provide cushioning to the joint and allow for the motion to be fluid and easy.

What Does Hand Surgery Fix?

Hand surgery is a hybrid of many of many types of techniques usually performed by a wide range of specialists like orthopaedic, plastic, vascular, and neurosurgeons.  It is used to treat a number of problems from repairing nerves to replacing tendons. Hand surgery specialists can treat both chronic (long term) hand pain and acute (recent onset) hand pain. The most commonly treated conditions and injuries treated by hand surgery physicians are:

• Injury – sudden break, tears, and dislocations
• Carpal tunnel syndrome - damage to the never that passes through the carpal tunnel
• Metacarpal bossing – a mass in one of the joints of the hand
• Rheumatoid arthritis – a rheumatic disease causing inflammation (link to RA article)
• Dupuytren’s Disease – one of the fingers is bent inwards and cannot be straightened
• Congenital defect – a condition that is present from birth

If you suffer from or know someone who suffers from arthritis pain, you know just how challenging it can be to get through your daily routine. While there is not a permanent solution for arthritis, there are treatments available to help manage the pain and its progression.

Part of why arthritis is so challenging is our natural response to pain to reduce the use of the body part that is causing a problem. Unfortunately, when arthritis patients do this, the stiffness and pain only gets worse, creating a perpetually worsening condition.

Physical Therapy Aids in Arthritis Treatment

Physical therapy can significantly aid in the treatment and pain management of arthritis. The goal of physical therapy is to maintain and increase the range of motion in the treated joints. What this means for an arthritis patient is those stiff joints becoming a little less stiff, and learning how to work through the stiffness to increase mobility and decrease pain.