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.
Rotating, stretching, bending
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.
Anatomy of the elbow
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.
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.
The most common elbow injuries and elbow conditions at a glance
Tips for a healthy elbow
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.
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