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I Have Pain At My Elbow--on The Side Of The
Posted on
Thu, 18 Apr 2019
Medically reviewed by
Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team
Thu, 18 Apr 2019
Answered on
Last reviewed on
Question : I have pain at my elbow--on the side of the elbow that runs to the pinkie finger. The pain is right over the knob of a bone but seems to be in the tissue that covers it. What can I do to heal it or alleviate the pain? I babysit my great-grandson 50 plus hours a week. He weighs about 18 pounds and is 7 months old so my arms are in almost constant use..
Brief Answer:
You seem to have golfer's elbow, advice related to treatment options given in details below
Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome to 'Ask a Doctor' service,
Very likely you are having Golfer's elbow which is a pain in the inner side of the elbow towards the forearm. It is mostly due to repetitive movements and having to babysit the baby as is the case with your great-grandson, with picking him up time after time... This may cause irritation of the tendons that run from the elbow and cause pain.
To help with the pain you can try the following:
- First of all, it is recommended to rest as much as you can. Unfortunately this might be a bit difficult in your case needing to care for the little one but if there is an opportunity to avoid repetitive movements of the elbow and wrist for some time would really benefit your pain.
- Apply ice at the tender area for 15-20 minutes at a time, 3-4 times a day. Wrap the ice with a cloth to protect the skin. This will help reduce inflammation and the pain as well
- Instead of Aspirin, oral Ibuprofen 400mg every 8 hours after food will help with pain and inflammation at the same time. Make sure you do take it after food and you take Omeprazole 20-40mg a day to protect the stomach because Ibuprofen might hurt the stomach.
- A brace sometimes is needed to reduce the movement in the area and help the healing process
- Physiotherapy is helpful as well because it will help muscles stretch and strengthen so you might need to have a check with a physiotherapist and have some exercises specific for the muscle that is affected in your case.
If the above measures do not help in 2-3 weeks, you will need to see your doctor and possibly have an x-ray to rule out structural bone problems which are generally very rare but should be considered and ruled out if the above measures are not helping.
I wish you quick healing... Hope this answers your query.
Let me know if I can assist you further.
Regards,
Dr. Antoneta Zotaj,
General and Family Physician
You seem to have golfer's elbow, advice related to treatment options given in details below
Detailed Answer:
Hello and welcome to 'Ask a Doctor' service,
Very likely you are having Golfer's elbow which is a pain in the inner side of the elbow towards the forearm. It is mostly due to repetitive movements and having to babysit the baby as is the case with your great-grandson, with picking him up time after time... This may cause irritation of the tendons that run from the elbow and cause pain.
To help with the pain you can try the following:
- First of all, it is recommended to rest as much as you can. Unfortunately this might be a bit difficult in your case needing to care for the little one but if there is an opportunity to avoid repetitive movements of the elbow and wrist for some time would really benefit your pain.
- Apply ice at the tender area for 15-20 minutes at a time, 3-4 times a day. Wrap the ice with a cloth to protect the skin. This will help reduce inflammation and the pain as well
- Instead of Aspirin, oral Ibuprofen 400mg every 8 hours after food will help with pain and inflammation at the same time. Make sure you do take it after food and you take Omeprazole 20-40mg a day to protect the stomach because Ibuprofen might hurt the stomach.
- A brace sometimes is needed to reduce the movement in the area and help the healing process
- Physiotherapy is helpful as well because it will help muscles stretch and strengthen so you might need to have a check with a physiotherapist and have some exercises specific for the muscle that is affected in your case.
If the above measures do not help in 2-3 weeks, you will need to see your doctor and possibly have an x-ray to rule out structural bone problems which are generally very rare but should be considered and ruled out if the above measures are not helping.
I wish you quick healing... Hope this answers your query.
Let me know if I can assist you further.
Regards,
Dr. Antoneta Zotaj,
General and Family Physician
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Arnab Banerjee
Thank you. I appreciate your advice.
Brief Answer:
It is a pleasure to help you
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
It is a pleasure to be able to help you. Please feel free to let us know if you need further assistance.
Be well and take care,
Regards,
Dr. Antoneta Zotaj
General and Family Physician
It is a pleasure to help you
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
It is a pleasure to be able to help you. Please feel free to let us know if you need further assistance.
Be well and take care,
Regards,
Dr. Antoneta Zotaj
General and Family Physician
Note: For further queries, consult a joint and bone specialist, an Orthopaedic surgeon. Book a Call now.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Prasad
Answered by
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