Anatomy and function of the elbow

Das Bild zeigt ein Paar, das am Strand sitzt. Die Frau trägt eine EpiTrain Ellenbogenbandage von Bauerfeind, die zusammen mit regelmäßigen Unterarmübungen helfen kann, Ellenbogenschmerzen vorzubeugen.

Anatomy and function of your elbows

Your elbows are constantly in use. They are necessary for every arm movement. But in contrast to joints such as the knees or wrists, less attention is generally paid to them – until they start to cause pain. So it’s a good time to take a closer look at the elbows: from anatomy to potential complaints all the way to tips for healthy elbows.

Bildausschnitt eines Bäckers in seiner Backstube. Er trägt eine EpiTrain Ellenbogenmassage von Bauerfeind am linken Arm. Die EpiTrain Bandage lindert Schmerzen im Ellenbogen und verbessert seine Beweglichkeit.

The elbow is one of your most important joints. Its main purpose is to bend and stretch the arm. But the elbow also plays an important role in the movement of your hands: When you rotate your hand, the rotation doesn’t actually come from the wrist but from the elbow. Unlocking a door without an elbow? No way.

The elbow joint connects the humerus and the two forearm bones called ulna and radius. The two bony protrusions that you can feel on the right and left form the lower end of the humerus. This is where the tendons that guide the forearm are attached. The tip of the elbow is the upper end of the ulna, colloquially known as the “funny bone”.

If you take a closer look at the structure of the elbow, you can see that it consists of three partial joints: one links the humerus and the ulna, another links the humerus and the radius. The third allows the ulna and the radius to move in relation to each other. All three partial joints are surrounded by a common joint capsule and ligaments, which is why a simpler way is to refer to all this as the elbow joint.

Illustration zur Anatomie des Ellenbogens und des Unterarms.

There are three types of ligaments in the joint: two collateral ligaments are positioned on the side of the elbow and stabilize the joint. The annular ligament surrounds the head of the radius and is required for the rotation of the radius towards the ulna. Finally, there is the articular cartilage, which protects the bones against abrasion.

The upper arm muscles are responsible for flexing and extending the arm. There are also muscles starting at the elbow which carry out specific hand movements. All the nerves that are needed for controlling the forearm and the hand also run through the elbow (incidentally, they also cause the tingling pain from which the “funny bone” gets its name). Elbow conditions and injuries therefore also often affect hand mobility.

What to do in cases of pain?

Pain in the elbow isn’t just uncomfortable – depending on severity, it can significantly affect everyday well-being. It’s important that you don’t take any symptoms lightly but try to find the cause of pain together with your physician.

In order for you to understand what is happening in your elbow, we have compiled some useful information relating to typical problems as well as their causes andtreatment options.

Find out more

Tennis arm

Tennis arm should be identified and treated at an early stage to prevent secondary damage. Here is an overview of causes, typical symptoms and treatment.

Darstellung der Anatomie des Ellenbogens mit einer vorliegenden Tennisellenbogenerkrankung.

Tennis elbow

Tennis elbow results from excessive loading, during which the muscle attachments undergo painful changes. You can read more about the causes, symptoms and treatment here.

Illustration der Anatomie des Ellenbogens mit einem Golferellenbogen. Beim Golferellenbogen (Epicondylitis ulnaris humeri, Epicondylitis medialis humeri) sind die Muskelansätze an der inneren Seite des Ellenbogens entzündet oder geschädigt.

Golfer’s elbow

Golfer’s elbow is the painful irritation of the tendons at the elbow joint. Here you can find out how it arises and what you can do prevent it.

Golf arm

Golf arm causes the muscle insertions on the elbow to hurt, even with little strain. Find out here how golf arm develops and how it’s treated.

Illustration der Anatomie des Ellenbogens mit einer vorliegenden Sehnenansatzreizung.

Tendon attachment site irritation

Tendon attachment site irritation at the elbow is almost always the result of recurring stresses. Here is an overview of causes, typical symptoms and treatment.

Tips for a healthy elbow

Dargestellt ist ein Paar beim Strandspaziergang. Die Frau trägt eine Ellenbogenbandage von Bauerfeind, um ihr Gelenk zu unterstützen und Schmerzen zu lindern.

Of course, the ideal case is to prevent symptoms from occurring in the first place. To make sure your elbows are happy, here are some little tips for your everyday routine.

You can follow these to keep your arms healthy and counteract or prevent symptoms:

Try not to overstretch your inner elbow
Where possible, carry heavy loads with both arms and distribute the weight evenly
If you work at a desk, set up your workstation ergonomically and make sure that the chair and table are at the right height for you
Stay active, but try to avoid heavy strain, for example during gardening work and sports (this particularly applies for sports that involve striking, such as tennis or golf)

Ask your physician!

If you experience pain in your elbow, it is advisable to consult your physician right away – regardless of whether the symptoms are acute or have been bothering you for a long time already. Once the cause has been clarified, you will learn from your physician which treatment methods you can use to actively combat pain. For example, your physician may recommend specific exercises to you as part of physical therapy. Or it may be important to relieve the joint. Here, it can be helpful to use supports such as the EpiTrain, which provide stability without restricting movement. Thanks to their special knitted fabric, they can also reduce pain and activate the muscles surrounding the joint.

EpiTrain®

Elbow support for pain relief

EpiTrain alleviates pain in the elbow and improves its mobility. The effective knitted fabric and specially contoured pads provide relief and make it possible to start mobility training at an early stage.

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Das Bild zeigt einen Mann mit Smartphone, der an dem Ufer eines Bergsees steht. Er hält den rechten Arm mit schmerzenden Handgelenk hoch.

Find the cause of your joint problems

Exercise is crucial in cases of joint pain. Your Train support provides relief when you’re in pain and helps you stay active.

Bildausschnitt eines Mannes mit Tattoos, der sich an sein schmerzendes Handgelenk fasst. Erfahre, wie Bauerfeind dir bei Handgelenkbeschwerden hilft.

Wrist pain

Whether during writing or gripping, at the back of the hand or along the outside: find out what causes your wrist pain – and what you can do about it.

Auf dem Bild krault eine Schwimmerin durch einen See. Schwimmen gilt als eine von Sportart, welche die Gelenke schont.

Sports that protect your joints

Get active and protect your joints with these ten sports.

Elbow

Anatomy and function of your elbows

Rotating, stretching, bending

Anatomy of the elbow

What to do in cases of pain?

The most common elbow injuries and elbow conditions at a glance

Tips for a healthy elbow

Ask your physician!

EpiTrain®

Elbow support for pain relief

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