Elbow Pain
If rest, physiotherapy and painkillers haven't settled your elbow pain, an ultrasound-guided injection can calm inflammation, confirm the diagnosis and get you back to the activities you've been missing. Here's how steroid and hyaluronic acid injections work, what to expect, and how we decide which is right for you.
What Causes Elbow Pain?
Elbow pain usually comes from one of a few sources, having an assessment to help work out which one you have is the first step to treating it properly.
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Repetitive strain on the tendons that attach your forearm muscles to the elbow — from gripping, lifting, typing, racquet sports or manual trades. This is by far the most common cause.
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A direct injury, such as a fall onto an outstretched hand or a knock to the elbow.
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Wear and tear in the joint itself (osteoarthritis), more common after a previous fracture, heavy manual work, or in older adults.
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Inflammation of the fluid-filled cushion at the tip of the elbow (bursitis), or inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis affecting the joint lining.
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Nerve irritation around the elbow, which can cause pain, tingling or weakness that mimics a tendon problem.
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Because several of these can feel similar — aching on the outside or inside of the elbow, worse with gripping — an accurate diagnosis matters before any treatment, including an injection, is planned.
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