Elbow Pain

Sunderland Integrated Musculoskeletal Service (Sunderland IMS) is a NHS service that provide specialist and comprehensive assessment, treatment and rehabilitation of musculoskeletal conditions to patients of Sunderland.

If you are suffering from elbow pain, Sunderland IMS have provided simple elbow information, advice and examples of exercises that may be useful to help with your recovery. Please see the elbow pain information below to get started today.

Elbow pain and discomfort is often associated with two main conditions; tennis elbow and golfers elbow. Tennis elbow primarily affects the outside of the elbow joint, whereas Golfers elbow causes pain and tenderness on the inside of the elbow joint. Both conditions generally respond really well and improve with self-management and completing a course of exercises, avoiding the aggravating activities causing pain, pain relief medication as required and time.  

Depending on the location of your pain and symptoms, see the appropriate pathway and clickable link for either tennis elbow or golfers elbow as this will provide more information and advice.

However, you can also have pain and stiffness in the elbow due to osteoarthritis, which is associated with normal degenerative joint changes. Osteoarthritis often causes a restriction in your elbow’s movement, and you may struggle to fully straighten or bend your arm. You may feel that the elbow is stiff and may be more painful and stiff in the morning, this may ease once you’re active and moving the arm. Osteoarthritis if often associated with a previous injury or surgery to the elbow, and can also cause some swelling or sharp pains in the joint.

Please see the osteoarthritis section for further information and some advice for managing this condition.