The upper limb, including the elbow, forearm, wrist and hand is second to the lower limb in the number of injuries. Because of how it is used and its relative exposure, the upper limb is prone to acute and overuse syndromes. Any sports where you use your arms puts your elbows at risk. To protect your elbows, you want to stretch and strengthen the muscles that surround and affect them. These include biceps, triceps, wrist and flexors.
An elbow sprain overstretches one or more ligaments around the elbow joint, while an elbow strain involves the muscles or tendons around the elbow.
Elbow Sprain:
Mild sprains tear some ligament fibers, but you still have function. With a moderate sprain, some of the ligament and some function is lost. A severe sprain is a complete rupture of the ligament, or separation of your ligament from bone. A severe sprain can result in function loss and may require surgery.
Elbow Strain:
A moderate strain tears muscle or tendons and you lose strength. A severe strain ruptures muscle and tendon attached to the bone. A severe strain can result in function loss and may require surgery.
Symptoms of elbow sprain and strain include:
- pain, soreness and stiffness
- tearing sensation in the elbow (for a sprain)
- muscle spasms, loss of strength (for a strain)
- point tenderness and swelling
- bruising after injury
Tennis Elbow:
Anyone who overuses and inflames the soft tissues around the elbow joint can get Tennis Elbow. The pain is localized around your elbow muscles, tendons and the elbow bone.
The Tennis Elbow test: Resistance is applied to the person's extended hand with the elbow flexed at 45 degrees. A positive tennis elbow test will be moderate-to-severe pain at the lateral epicondyle.
Sypmtoms of Tennis Elbow include:
- pain and tenderness around the elbow bone
- pain upon gripping something or twisting your forearm
- weak grip
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