Elbow strains are classified from I to III, with III being severe enough to require surgery. Causes include overuse, overextension, and trauma. Symptoms include muscle spasms, swelling, tenderness, and pain. Treatment includes elbow support, pain management, and physical therapy. Long-term goals should be considered when starting physical therapy.
An elbow strain is an injury to the muscles and tendons surrounding the elbow joint. The strains are classified from I to III, depending on the severity of the strain. A grade III elbow strain can be so severe that surgery is needed to repair the tissue, while a grade I strain may resolve with a few days of rest. As with other joint strains, it’s important to make sure your elbow heals completely before resuming normal activity levels, because it’s possible to seriously injure your elbow if it’s pushed too hard too soon.
Many things can cause an elbow strain. One is overuse, as occurs in athletes who work their elbows hard during sports such as gymnastics. Another is overextension of the elbow which causes muscles and ligaments to tear, and a third common cause is trauma. Strains are characterized by tears in the tissue that can range from microscopic in a grade I strain to so large that they are easily visible when the elbow is opened or imaged in a grade III strain.
Elbow strain symptoms include muscle spasms, swelling, tenderness, loss of strength, pain, warmth, and crackling in the elbow. People may also notice bruising if the strain was caused by trauma. Symptoms can arise suddenly, such as when the elbow is overextended and pain sets in immediately, or they can develop over time as the elbow becomes progressively strained. People may also find that extending, loading, or twisting their elbow is painful.
Treatment for a strain requires elbow support as tears in the muscles and tendons repair. For mild exertion, the elbow may be put in a cast or sling to immobilize it while the patient rests. Pain management medications may also be offered to keep the patient comfortable while the elbow strain heals. For more severe strains, surgery to repair the tears may be necessary, because the body cannot do this on its own and the arm will need to be immobilized while the elbow heals.
Physical therapy is used during recovery to support the elbow and help it rebuild its strength. Physical therapy sessions will be tailored to the patient and effort, with the therapist slowly working on more challenging exercises as the joint heals. One thing to consider when starting physical therapy is what the long-term goals are, as the approach can vary depending on what the patient wants to be able to do when the joint is healed.
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