A fair amount of sporting activities put a lot of stress and strain on the elbow area. Racquet sports like tennis and pickleball are two of the biggest, but baseball players and golfers also put a lot of strain on their elbow area during the throwing or swinging motion. If you put too much stress on your elbow, you can develop a stress fracture. Not only will these stress fractures be uncomfortable, but without proactive treatment, symptoms may linger or return at the first sign of stress, making a number of daily activities uncomfortable.
We don’t want you to have to sit on the sidelines for an extended period as a result of an elbow stress fracture, so in today’s blog, we share some tips for overcoming an elbow stress fracture with the help of physical therapy.
Causes And Symptoms Of Elbow Stress Fractures
Your elbow joint is where the upper arm bone (humerus) meets the two forearm bones (the radius and ulna). At this connection is a bony point called the olecranon, and it consists of several muscles, ligaments, tendons and nerves. This area also tends to absorb a lot of stress during swinging motions or overhand movements, but if it is overstressed during athletics or repetitive motions, an olecranon stress fracture can develop.
An elbow stress fracture tends to be more common in athletes like baseball and tennis players, but it can occur to any one at any age who puts too much strain on the elbow joint in too short of a time period. Manual laborers and assembly line workers who perform physically demanding and repetitive arm movements are especially susceptible to olecranon stress fractures.
Symptoms of an olecranon stress fracture include:
- Pain at the tip of the elbow
- Swelling
- Numbness
- Pain with elbow bending or rotation
- Tenderness to the touch
- Elbow instability
If you’re dealing with any of the above symptoms, especially if symptoms are getting in the way of daily tasks or athletic activities, you need to consult with a medical team to help treat the issue.
Treating Elbow Stress Fractures
The good news with a stress fracture is that because they are often slow to develop and small in size, at least at the outset, they tend to respond well to proactive conservative treatments. While anti-inflammatory agents and short-term rest can help to manage some discomfort in the short-term, the key to putting an elbow stress fracture behind you for good involves pursuing treatments that establish strength and stability in the elbow joint and the structures that support it.
For most people, the best way to do that is by connecting with a physical therapist. PT is great because it helps to:
- Strengthen the affected area without overloading it with stress
- Target supportive muscle groups to take stress off the elbow joint
- Increase flexibility, mobility and normal range of motion in the elbow joint
- Gradually reintroduce you to activities without increasing your likelihood of suffering a setback
- Reduce inflammation or swelling that has developed in the elbow area
- Improve your athletic form so that sport-related motions don’t put excessive strain on the elbow
By pursuing physical therapy for a number of weeks, most patients can make a full recovery without the need for more hands-on care, which gets them back to activities faster and keeps more money in their pocket. Remember, you don’t need a referral to seek out PT services in Minnesota, so if you’re dealing with new or persistent elbow pain, consider syncing up with the team at OrthoRehab Specialists to put it behind you once and for all. For more information, or to set up your first elbow treatment session, give our team a call today at (612) 339-2041.