Can Joint Pain In Elbows Be Relieved?
Joint pain in all forms is one of the most common ailments affecting people of all ages, but especially women over the age of 65. Joint pain comes in all shapes and sizes, from the odd twinge in your neck to constant, throbbing joint pain in elbows and wrists.
What causes joint pain? Honestly, any number of things. Joint pain isn’t ageist either, so young people aren’t spared despite common thought. Everyday lifestyle activities like sports, certain jobs, genetics, or diet can come into play when talking about joint pain, and one of the most common areas we are starting to hear about is joint pain in the elbows. I’ve seen many women in my life struggle with joint pain at certain times in their life, and have seen the hindrance it can cause to your life - so finding ways to make joint pain more manageable and relieve the symptoms is a core goal at Live Well Health Essentials. Creating ways to help complement your pain management plan has always been important for us and that means discovering ways to help people of all stages of life in their joint pain management.
What Causes Joint Pain?
Joint pain is what occurs when there is excess fluid around the joint, causing pain and sometimes swelling.
Joint Pain From Injuries
Starting with the first of numerous possible causes, you can likely experience joint pain after suffering an injury. Soccer players, athletes, golf players, they all go through bouts of joint pain as a result of common sports injuries that come with the territory. If you have broken a bone or sprained an ankle or wrist, joint pain can be the irritating shadow of the injury that sticks around long after the injury itself has healed.
However, it’s not just injuries that can cause joint pain. And nor is joint pain an affliction that only targets older people.
Joint Pain From Overuse
Another cause of joint pain in the elbow and elsewhere is overuse of the joint. It’s becoming more common to see younger people who work in a trade like carpentry that requires the use of power tools that when used over a prolonged period of time the constant stress on the elbow can cause pain in the elbow joint.
Joint Pain From Rheumatic Conditions
Certain rheumatic conditions such as arthritis, lupus and vasculitis affect nerves by causing damage to them resulting in a pinched nerve, which can result in often constant pain in the joints.
Joint Pain During Pregnancy
I can attest to this. During pregnancy the body’s fluid retention and swelling increases due to fluctuating hormones, and can cause carpal tunnel and joint pain that were not previously there. As the high levels of fluid aren’t concentrated to one joint, it can be anywhere from uncomfortable to sometimes intolerable. As if growing a human inside you wasn’t enough!
Why Is Joint Pain In The Elbow Different?
Pain is pain, right? So what makes joint pain in elbows stand out? Well, yes and no. Elbow joint pain is one of the lesser known areas of the body to be discussed when talking about pain in the joints. Most people have heard of carpal tunnel or experienced pain in the knees or the neck at some stage, or know someone that has yet to have joint elbow pain is lesser known. And while the elbow joint is actually one of the hardiest joints in the body, it is as susceptible to wear and tear as any other joint and should be treated as such.
Elbow joint pain is often a result of certain jobs or hobbies that have led to the joint being overused. When you’re in the gym and lifting heavy weight or doing push ups with incorrect form or pushing your body to it’s limit and not allowing it adequate time to rest, the joint becomes worn over time and that can cause the fluid to build up and cause pain in the elbow joint. We often hear about being cautious about our knees or our core, or even our wrists when it comes to physical activity and being proactive to avoid injury, but the elbow joint is as important to rest and move with good form.
I’ve noticed even cleaning the house or the car can bring on joint pain in the elbow, and when it strikes during times I have to be the family’s health carer and the family support, as with many women my age, it’s important for me to make treatment and rest a priority.
Is Joint Pain Treatable?
There are certainly ways you can relieve the symptoms of joint pain complementary to medications.
Did you know that hot and cold therapy is one of the best ways to ease painful joints in conjunction with your usual pain management plan? Our wheat free, Australian made hot and cold therapy bags are made specifically designed to fit the areas of your body that need treatment and relieve painful joints.
Heat therapy has long been one of the best at-home ways to relieve sore and stiff joints. When you place a heated compress to the joint area, the heat causes the muscles to relax and the blood vessels inside to expand, allowing for better circulation, better oxygen flow and allows the fluid to circulate through the body. With this in mind, our Live Well Health Essentials heated body wrap allows you to treat your painful joints while at home or on the go with its flexible design so that you can go about your day without letting your elbow joint pain or any other joint pain interfere.
Proactive Measures For Elbow Pain Management
Once you have had elbow pain, it's one of those things you want to avoid reoccurring.
Silistab Epi not only provides relief after Tennis Elbow, Golfer's Elbow and similar repetitive use injuries but also helps preventing the recurrence of them, ultimately granting you peace of mind and comfort.
Silistab Epi can be found at some fantastic stockists that we work with:
Friendlies Discount Pharmacy Kempsey - 8 Smith St, Kempsey, New South Wales 2440, Australia
Southside Pharmacy - 4/94 Bent St, South Grafton, New South Wales, 2460, Australia
Scott’s Head Pharmacy - 4 Adin St, Scott's Head, New South Wales, 2447, Australia
Nambucca Heads Pharmacy - Shop 15 Nambucca Plaza Shopping Centre Pacific Highway, Nambucca Heads, New South Wales, 2448, Australia
Bowraville Pharmacy - 31 High St, Bowraville, New South Wales, 2449, Australia
Bellingen Pharmacy - 70 Hyde St, Bellingen, New South Wales, 2454, Australia
Macksville Pharmacy - 10 Cooper St, Macksville, New South Wales 2447, Australia
Albion Park 777 - 1/167 Tongarra Rd, Albion Park, New South Wales 2527, Australia
Crows Nest Day and Night - 2/108 Willoughby Rd, Crows Nest, New South Wales, 2065, Australia
We recommend popping into to store and having a chat with them to see if Silistab Epi could be right for your needs.
Can Cold Therapy Work?
Cold therapy is also used to help ease pain in the joints - generally cold therapy works best to reduce swelling and inflammation, so if you are experiencing joint pain due to a physical injury that may be the best bet (remember to always consult your doctor first though!)
Elevating the joint can also help ease pain, and studies have found that in some cases ingesting turmeric actually gave as much pain relief as ibuprofen! As with most holistic and complementary health care, it can be a process of trial and error to see what works best for your body.
What Can I Do To Prevent Future Joint Pain?
Rest!
I will never be able to say this enough, but rest, rest, rest. Your body does its best healing at night, and the most important factor in preventing joint pain in elbow or other areas is by allowing the body time to rest so it doesn’t become overworked which as we know is one of the main causes of joint pain. This means resting after you partake in sports, exercise, or just taking time out of your day to make sure your body takes a break.
Compression
Common in sports injuries or after surgery, wearing a firm bandage or compress on the joint can help regulate swelling and circulation, and worn during physical activity like high intensity sports or gym sessions can aid in protecting the joint - but making good form will always be your best way of preventing injury or aggravating joint pain.
Seek Professional Advice
Don't just take my word for it, use these tips and my experience to then go and check in with your Allied Health Care Professional to make sure you are getting the best support for your needs. They will assist you in getting the plan right for your circumstances.
Joint pain in elbow, knees, wrists, the list goes on - it’s not fun no matter where it’s coming from. Joint pain can interfere with your work, the time you spend with your family and your abilities as a carer so finding ways to proactively prevent it and knowing how to treat it are essential. As a mum and daughter I know this all too well, so I hope you found this article informative and hopefully gave you some helpful tips on managing your joint pain!
