Burning pain in the elbow: 7 issues that could be causing it

Every time you lift your coffee cup to your lips, your elbow moves. However, burning pain in your elbow can make even this easy task much more difficult. Fortunately, a physical therapist can help you find out the source of your pain. 

Several tendons, nerves and other structures make up your elbow, and issues with any of these structures can lead to elbow pain. Understanding the cause of your pain is one way a physical therapist can assist you. These specialists can also provide effective treatment for the burning pain in your elbow. 

7 common medical conditions that trigger burning pain in the elbow

A burning pain in your elbow often means that something is inflamed or irritated. Physical therapists are trained to treat the human musculoskeletal system — this system includes all the structures in your elbow. A few of the most common sources of elbow pain include: 

• Tennis elbow — To medical professionals, this condition is called lateral epicondylitis. With tennis elbow, the lateral epicondyle tendon on the outside of your elbow is injured or inflamed, causing pain on the outer side of your elbow. 
• Golfer’s elbow — This issue is also known as medial epicondylitis. Golfer’s elbow happens when your medial epicondyle tendon becomes inflamed or injured. The result is typically pain that’s felt on the inside of the affected elbow. 
• Olecranon bursitis — The olecranon is the bone that forms the point of your elbow. This bone has a bursa, or a fluid-filled cushion, between it and your skin. When this bursa becomes inflamed, it can lead to swelling and pain at the tip of your elbow. 
• Rheumatoid arthritis — Rheumatoid arthritis is an inflammatory joint disease that can affect the joints that form the elbow. The immune system attacks its own tissue, which can lead to pain and tissue deterioration over time. This condition is commonly associated with searing elbow pain. 
• Stress fracture — Stress fractures can occur in the elbow when there has been an overly frequent and/or forceful movement to the area but can also occur when there is weakened bone from osteoporosis. Stress fractures can be painful when they affect the elbow.
• Nerve entrapment — This condition occurs when the radial nerve, the main nerve in the arm, becomes restricted. The radial nerve can become entrapped when the vertebrae or joints in the elbow pinch it.
• Ligament sprain — Burning pain can occur in the elbow when there is a ligament sprain. The joints in the elbow are connected together by ligaments, but if one of these ligaments becomes injured or torn, the result is a ligament sprain. 

Ways physical therapy can help treat the pain in your elbow

After identifying the source of your elbow pain, physical therapists can help treat it. These specialists can use different therapy techniques to provide a personalized therapy plan for each patient. Some of the therapy methods that may be included in such a plan are: 

• Joint mobilization intended to improve joint flexibility and range of motion. 
• Instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM) designed to reduce tension and pain in elbow and forearm soft tissue. 
• Dry needling that can help address myofascial trigger points that are contributing to elbow pain. 
• Sport-specific therapy that focuses on improving your form and reducing your risk of future elbow injuries. 

Find treatment for the burning pain in your elbow at Advent PT

You don’t have to continue suffering from burning pain in your elbow. Our team at Advent Physical Therapy is ready to provide effective treatment for your pain. We can start by doing a free screening on your elbow to pinpoint the cause of your pain. Then, our experienced physical therapists can build you a customized therapy plan intended to: 

• Reduce pain.
• Improve joint mobility.
• Increase ability to do normal daily activities. 
• Cut risk of future injuries. 

We can even help treat your pain from home if you sign up for a virtual therapy or at-home care session with us. 

Contact our team today for more information about how we can treat your elbow pain or to schedule an initial appointment.