If you’ve ever whacked your elbow against a hard surface, you know there is nothing funny about hitting your funny bone. While you do not actually have a funny bone, the pain you feel is real because you have actually struck your ulnar nerve running along your arm’s humerus bone. It is unknown whether the term funny bone is derived as an anatomical pun for humorous or if it is called that because of the instant funny sensation of pain, numbness and tingling you feel from the ulnar nerve. Luckily, the pain from your funny bone only lasts for a little while. However, if you suffer from sudden or persistent arm or elbow pain, you may have elbow bursitis.

Arm Pain and Elbow Bursitis

Elbow bursitis is a condition occuring when the bursa inside the elbow has become irritated or inflamed. A bursa is a small sac that holds a slippery fluid that helps reduce friction and irritation from moving bone, muscles, tendon and skin. In the elbow, the bursa is located between your skin and the olecranon. Your olecranon is a pointy bone that is found at the tip of your elbow.

Extra fluid fills the bursa when it becomes inflamed or irritated. When this happens, you may have swelling on the back of your elbow. You might not notice your elbow is right away because it may begin gradually or just suddenly appear. As your elbow continues to swell, it may have a swelling that looks similar to a golf ball at the tip of your elbow. Elbow bursitis is frequently caused by repetitive motions.

Sometimes you may not notice that your elbow has become swollen because bursitis doesn’t always cause pain. However, you will feel pain if the bursa becomes infected and your elbow becomes tender. In some cases, your elbow may appear red and feel warm. You might also run a fever. Left unchecked, the infection can cause your bursa to burst and drain pus.

Treatment for Arm Pain and Elbow Bursitis

Sometimes elbow bursitis will go away without out treatment if you rest your elbow and frequently apply ice. When seeing a doctor for elbow bursitis, he will usually order x-rays or bloodwork to rule out other injuries or illnesses that could mimic bursitis. The doctor may drain the fluid from the bursa to see if there is any pus in it. You may be prescribed antibiotics if you do have an infection.

Treatment for arm pain and elbow bursitis may include:

• Avoiding activities that could aggravate your elbow
• Wrapping your elbow in a snug wrap
• Taking NSAID medications to reduce inflammation
• Removing fluid from the bursa via a needed

Preferred Care for Arm Pain and Elbow Bursitis

If you have unexplained arm pain, you need care from an experienced orthopedic doctor like Dr. Howard Marans. The Doctor has over two decades of experience treating joint and orthopedic conditions. Schedule a consultation at Orthopedic+ today by clicking below or calling 714.979.8981.

Bursitis occurs when a joint’s bursa becomes inflamed or irritated. The bursa is a sac that contains fluid helping to decrease friction, rubbing, and irritation between bone, tendons, muscle, and skin. Injury or overuse to a joint can increase your risk to developing bursitis. It is often caused through repetitive motion, light impact or sudden trauma to a joint.

Arm and Elbow Pain

Bursitis may be simply causes by bumping your elbow. The condition may also develop as you grow older because your tendons will become more sensitive to stress and will tear easier as they lose their elasticity.

Symptoms of Elbow Bursitis

In your elbow, the bursa lies between the olecranon and your skin. The olecranon is a pointy bone that is located at the tip of your elbow. When the bursa is irritated or inflamed, it fills with extra fluid. When this occurs, swelling may develop at the back your elbow. This condition is called olecranon bursitis.

You may not notice the swelling on your elbow at first because it can appear either gradually or quickly. As the swelling increases, it may look similar to a soft golf ball on the tip of your elbow. Part of the reason you may not notice the swelling is because it may not always cause pain. However, if the bursa becomes infected, the area will become tender and redness may appear. The affected area may feel warm and you may develop a fever. As the infection becomes worse, the bursa may burst and drain pus.

Treating Arm Pain and Elbow Bursitis

Often arm pain and elbow bursitis will go away on its own with rest and icing the joint. When diagnosing elbow bursitis, x-rays may be ordered to look for a fracture, bone spur or calcium deposits on the elbow. Blood tests may also be ordered to rule out other conditions that could potentially cause swelling to your elbow. A needle may be used to draw fluid from the bursa to determine if pus is present. If an infection is confirmed, antibiotics may be prescribed.

If there is no infection in the bursa, the doctor will recommend that you avoid the activities that may have caused the bursitis. Additional treatment steps may include:

• Wearing an elbow pad or snug wrap
• Oral NSAIDs
• Removal of fluid from the bursa with a needle

In some cases, the bursa may need to be removed if the infection does not clear up or if the bursitis returns repeatedly.

Dr. Howard Marans Treats Arm Pain and Elbow Bursitis

Do not delay in seeking treatment for your elbow or arm pain. If you experience arm pain or have symptoms of elbow bursitis, prompt care from an experienced orthopedic surgeon can help prevent it from progressing to a serious infection.

Dr. Howard Marans has over 20 years of clinical experience in treating orthopedic conditions, including elbow bursitis. Often patients are seen the same day in which they contact the office for an appointment. Schedule your consultation by calling 714.979.8981 – or – click the icon below.