Hitting your "funny bone" really isn't that funny - it hurts. As the body's primary hinge, the elbow joint is responsible for a lot of everyday movements. In fact, doing anything with your hand, fingers and wrist is a lot more difficult when you're experiencing the not-very-humorous sensation of elbow pain.

Elbow pain is a common complaint and there are many causes for it. The most common cause of elbow pain is "tennis elbow," which affects the outside of the elbow joint and causes a person to have difficulty gripping objects. "Golfers' elbow" affects the inside of the joint and is another common complaint. Interestingly, most people with these conditions are not golfers or tennis players. But they do need to have their condition correctly diagnosed so that effective treatment can begin.

Tennis elbow in most cases is a form of tendonitis, but if the muscles and bones around the elbow are also involved, then the condition is referred to as epicondylitis. If the pain is on the back of the elbow joint and not on the outside of your arm, you may have bursitis, a condition that is caused when lubricating sacs become inflamed. Swelling is rarely a symptom of tennis elbow, and in this case, you may want to investigate other possible conditions, such as arthritis.

The orthopedic surgeons at the CMHS Orthopedic Center will diagnose your elbow pain and get you serving up life - or tennis balls - again. Treatment options for elbow pain vary according to the cause of the problem and include medication, stretching, physical therapy, injections and, in some cases, surgery. In all cases, you will need to rest the injured elbow. Your orthopedic surgeon will discuss all your treatment options with you and together, you'll decide the best course of action.

Scheduling an evaluation

To determine what is causing your elbow to ache and what treatment plan is best for you, contact the Citrus Memorial Health System Physician Referral Line at (352) 637-3337 or call one of our orthopedic surgeons.