What To Do About Chronic Elbow Pain in San Diego

Part of my job as a San Diego elbow pain doctor requires constantly reviewing the latest literature on how and when to escalate cases of elbow pain into surgery. So I read this recent article with interest, as it describes a medical case presentation of the type we typically get on rounds as attending physicians:

A 42-year-old man with a history of metastatic lung cancer on chemotherapy and daily steroid therapy presented to the ED with right elbow pain. The pain had begun the day before, and the patient denied history of trauma, overuse, or increased time or pressure on his elbows. His review of systems was otherwise unrevealing.

In this case a deeper diagnostic look yielded a definitive cause: Septic Olecranon Bursitis, which is an infection of the fluid-filled sac that rests just behind the joint of the elbow. The “septic” part is the infection – brown liquid suggesting that bacteria had found their way into the fluid, causing swelling, pain and discomfort. This is not unexpected for a patient on chemotherapy, which can wallop the immune system and result in unusual sites of infection.

The article recommends antibiotics and drainage as first measures, but eventually discusses when elbow surgery may be a good idea:

Surgery or repeated drainage may be considered if the patient does not respond to conservative management. Surgical management as a first-line therapy is less likely to be successful and more likely to be associated with complications such as the creation of a chronic sinus tract when compared with aspiration.

For conservative elbow pain management and treatment, and the best elbow surgery in San Diego, contact AOSM for an appointment today.

What’s The Best Treatment for Tennis Elbow?

A recent New York Times article looked into the standard cortisone treatments for elbow pain and tennis elbow to explore just how effective they really are compared to placebos, and nothing at all.

As it happens, cortisone may cause more damage over the long term than it helps over the short term. This is because cortisone focuses on inflammation alone, which may not represent the root cause of the problem:

For decades, tennis elbow was thought to be caused by inflammation in the tissues around the joint. Newer science, however, including biopsies of the sore tissues, shows little inflammation, except in the very early stages of the injury. Instead, it is thought to involve degeneration of the tissues: If the joint is used repeatedly and strenuously, the body cannot repair any resulting minor damage before more damage occurs, and the tendons that hold the elbow together begin to fray and buckle.

If nothing else, studies such as this one remind us that we have much to learn about the issues and biology surrounding chronic pain.

If you are suffering from tennis elbow in San Diego and want to speak with an expert orthopedist who understands the limits of injections, you have come to the right place. Please reach out to us here today.