Good Morning, I Am Currently Working In Afghanistan And Seeing

Posted on Sat, 23 Mar 2019

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Sat, 23 Mar 2019 Answered on

Last reviewed on

Question : Good morning, I am currently working in Afghanistan and seeing a doctor is difficult in the city. I recently was jumping up onto my bed in a backwards, seated position. I used my arms behind me to “push” myself up. I felt a “pop” and then had pain in the elbow, specifically on the outside of it (left, non dominant arm). Within 20 minutes I had pain when carrying a tray of food and bending my arm. I can move the arm relatively pain free however trying to push the heavy armored door to my room with my left arm causes pain on the outside of my elbow, it’s just above the large muscle in my forearm that meets the elbow. I am very muscular so I don’t think strength a strength test will be that accurate. I also get pain doing push ups. There is a noticeable lump about the size of a Nickel if I pull my skin taught, it feels “sinewy” if that makes sense. No bruising however.

Answered by Dr. Dr. Praveen Tayal (2 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Soft tissue injury is there.

Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Thanks for posting your query.
I have seen the attached images. The pain and swelling that you have is likely to be due to a tear in the fascia that has caused a muscle to bulge out. You need to restrict the stressful activities like push ups and give it a rest. You can also use an elastic elbow brace for an extra support. This can take 2-3 weeks of rest to heal properly. MRI scan will help in diagnosis. Till then you can do a hot compress and have a mild pain killer for pain.
I hope this answers your query.
In case you have additional questions or doubts, you can forward them to me, and I shall be glad to help you out.
For future query, you can directly approach me through my profile URL http://bit.ly/Dr-Praveen-Tayal
Wishing you good health.
Regards.
Dr. Praveen Tayal.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Dr. Praveen Tayal (13 minutes later)

Thank you for your response. Is this something that requires surgery, or can I just rest and compress and likely be able to return to training gradually. I’m a very active person so I typically have returned from other injuries rather quickly.

Answered by Dr. Dr. Praveen Tayal (11 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Rest and hot compress can heal.

Detailed Answer:
Hello.
Thanks for writing again.
This usually does not need a surgery. Rest and compress are likely to help.
Hope my answer is helpful.
Do accept my answer in case there are no further queries.
Regards.

Note: For further queries, consult a joint and bone specialist, an Orthopaedic surgeon. Book a Call now.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar