Tag: best elbow pain doctor in san diego

When Is Elbow Surgery Necessary?

Elbow pain treatment can include anything from OTC pain medications to arthroscopic elbow surgery. The goal in all treatments is to restore freedom of movement and your natural strength during everyday tasks, without the pain.

Treating elbow pain effectively requires a few steps. You’ll need a detailed evaluation from a local San Diego orthopedic surgeon who has significant experience in the area of sports medicine. This evaluation will include a physical exam, a medical history, a series of mobility tests and, if necessary, some imaging.

Common takeaway prescriptions may include physical therapy, corticosteroid or platelet rich plasma (PRP) injections, and plenty of rest. You may also be scheduled for a surgery to correct any tissue that has become too damaged or obstructive to allow for safe and easy healing:

There are various procedures that may be recommended, depending on the cause of the elbow pain. Examples of surgical procedures that may be used include fracture repair, arthroscopy, and elbow replacement.

For the most complete local evaluation, get the standard in San Diego elbow surgery. Contact Dr. William Holland to set up an appointment today.

What Causes Elbow Pain?

What causes elbow pain? It’s a common question, and one that I field on a daily basis in the San Diego Orthopedic Surgery Center.

Questions such as these rarely have simple answers; the elbow is a complex joint with plenty of moving parts. Any issue of injury or inflammation within the joint can lead to pain – and, occasionally create a cascade of further injuries as the elbow’s natural motion becomes impaired.

Elbow pain requires a careful and considered differential diagnosis. This page offers a snapshot of what orthopedists such as myself tend to consider when confronted with a new case, including how to determine if it’s tennis elbow or something else:

Radial Tunnel Syndrome causes pain that is very similar to the symptoms of tennis elbow (Figure 2). The pain is usually distal to the lateral epicondyle and radiates down the forearm. If the symptoms of tennis elbow are not going away with treatment, rule out the possibility of radial tunnel.

Check out the full page, which comes stocked with useful images to help you diagram what’s happening in your elbow And when you’re ready to see an expert, contact the elbow pain doctor here.

When Your Elbow Swells Up

Waves were made last month when NBA MVP Stephan Curry banged his elbow and was forced to finish out a game with a sizable goose egg on the joint – an injury some compared to a tennis ball. Miraculously, he recovered almost immediately and went on to win that series. Curry has continued to play at or near his gargantuan potential ever since.

In fact, this recovery wasn’t so miraculous – it was the common response to an injury known as olecranon bursitis:

Olecranon bursitis – which is common although the exact incidence is unknown – happens when the bursa, which is a slippery sac over the elbow which allows the skin to slide easily across the bone when it is flexed, becomes damaged. This causes it to secrete a much greater than normal volume of fluid into the closed cavity of the bursa which makes it inflate like a balloon.

Olecranon bursitis looks bad, but it’s not terribly serious. Given some time to rest and heal, the fluid drains of its own accord and most people can return to their regularly scheduled activities without any lasting injury. Although infections may arise or the condition may become chronic, the vast majority of these cases are transitory at best.

Want to understand elbow injuries better, and get the best treatment for elbow pain in San Diego? Contact my offices today.

When Your Elbow Swells Up

Waves were made last month when NBA MVP Stephan Curry banged his elbow and was forced to finish out a game with a sizable goose egg on the joint – an injury some compared to a tennis ball. Miraculously, he recovered almost immediately and went on to win that series. Curry has continued to play at or near his gargantuan potential ever since.

In fact, this recovery wasn’t so miraculous – it was the common response to an injury known as olecranon bursitis:

Olecranon bursitis – which is common although the exact incidence is unknown – happens when the bursa, which is a slippery sac over the elbow which allows the skin to slide easily across the bone when it is flexed, becomes damaged. This causes it to secrete a much greater than normal volume of fluid into the closed cavity of the bursa which makes it inflate like a balloon.

Olecranon bursitis looks bad, but it’s not terribly serious. Given some time to rest and heal, the fluid drains of its own accord and most people can return to their regularly scheduled activities without any lasting injury. Although infections may arise or the condition may become chronic, the vast majority of these cases are transitory at best.

Want to understand elbow injuries better, and get the best treatment for elbow pain in San Diego? Contact my offices today.

On the Limits of Elbow Pain Management

The New York Times recently published an affecting piece about how difficult it can be to find the right combination of pharmaceutical and behavioral measures to keep elbow pain at bay. The author hurt herself painting some bookshelves years ago, and has experienced the searing ache of tennis elbow in varying degrees ever since.

Like many people, she has also experienced little success with most of the popular treatments of the day:

Unfortunately, none of this knowledge has translated into new treatments. We have the usual handful of alternatives, often just so many cornflakes to the opioid-experienced. Nonpharmaceutical approaches to pain treatment (Exercise! Stretch! Be mindful!) generally just don’t fly. . . .

Opioids work well for some people, but for others they can be a gateway to destructive dependency. Because tennis elbow can remain chronic for decades at a time, surgical intervention is considered the only lasting treatment.

My San Diego orthopedic practice specializes in the treatment of tennis elbow and other forms of elbow pain, as well as all of the most common elbow injuries in children. Please call us today to learn more about how we can solve your problem for good.