The elbow joint is located between the point of the elbow and where it connects to the forearm. It allows you to bend your arm and rotate it inwardly and outwardly. Elbows are complex joints; they are made up of not just one joint but two: a hinge joint between the clavicle and scapula in the shoulder area, which lets you move your arm away from your body, as well as a second hinged type of joint that’s connected between your humerus bone (upper bone) with your ulna (one of two bones in forearms). Together these allow for a wide range of motion within your elbows. The elbow comprises several types of joints: a humeroulnar joint (between the upper arm bone and the forearm), a humeroradial joint (between the upper arm bone and lower arm bone), an intercarpal elbow joint, and a wrist intercarpal joint just below the elbow area. These multiple joints make up the elbow, making it one of the most flexible parts of your body.
$139 New Patient Special
Consultation, Exam, and MRI or X-ray Imaging Review with the Doctor
Not sure if decompression is right for you? Start here. The doctor will review your imaging and your case directly.
How Our Care Plan Works
Certainty
We don’t recommend decompression to anyone we haven’t measured first. Every qualifying candidate gets imaging. That means same-day digital X-ray on-site, and/or MRI imaging that can be scheduled within 48 hours through our Sacramento imaging network. We require 0-gap imaging, providing more detail and clarity to accurately diagnose disc problems.
We test. We do not guess.
Clarity
Knowing your body inside and out is the first step in your pathway to relief and experiencing the life you were designed to live. Understanding your doctors tests and recommendations are paramount to reaching your personal health goals. At River City Chiropractic, we take the time to guide you each step of the way!
Confidence
We have been helping patients relieve pain with proper spinal hygiene in Citrus Heights for over 30 years. RCC has been voted Best of Citrus Heights for 19 consecutive years and running. Our DRX9000 platform is the top-of-the-line decompression equipment on the market, paired with Class 4 cool laser, neuromuscular rehabilitation, and a structured home-care program. When the case is appropriate and the patient completes the protocol, the result can be life changing.
How We Treat Elbow Pain In Citrus Heights, CA
Comprehensive Consultation and Exam
Before you go in for treatment, the chiropractor will ask you several questions to find out what kind of elbow pain you are experiencing and any other symptoms you have. They will also perform a physical exam. When doing this exam, your chiropractor will look at your range of motion in all directions and listen to your joints to see any abnormal sounds. They will also watch for swelling and inflammation. Your chiropractor may order x-rays or MRIs depending on the severity of your injury and how long it has lasted.
Specific Chiropractic Care
To relieve elbow pain, your chiropractor will focus on reducing inflammation and increasing the range of motion in your elbow. Treatment for elbow pain depends on the location and severity of the pain. Chiropractors can use various techniques to treat elbow pain, such as spinal manipulative therapy, massage therapy, and joint manipulation. It’s important to note that the manipulation used during treatment is minimal and shouldn’t cause pain. The procedure usually works by “flipping a switch” in your brain to turn off the pain; your body has several mechanisms that help reduce inflammation and widespread pain.
Massage Therapy/Soft Tissue Work
Massage therapy can help with elbow pain by increasing circulation, loosening stiff and inflamed muscles, reducing swelling and increase range of motion. Although this treatment is used mainly for professional athletes to help prevent or treat injuries, it can also benefit people experiencing elbow pain. Massage therapy also reduces stress and tension in the back, directly impacting the upper extremity’s ability to move and function properly. It’s important to note that it is not recommended to be used on joints that are already injured; this would only add more strain on the injury and make healing difficult. Soft tissue work can help with elbow pain by helping to increase the range of motion and reducing inflammation and swelling. Delicate tissue work also stimulates circulation, which helps lubricate other tissues of joints and reduces potential damage.
Deep Tissue Laser Therapy
A specific type of laser therapy called deep tissue laser therapy is a very influential part of care for elbow pain. The lasers target tight muscle knots and stimulate muscles to relax further. The lasers can penetrate and work within the muscle tissues and soften the knot, causing it to release the stiffness that is causing pain. It will then allow the muscles to relax and move better. Deep tissue laser therapy is most commonly used for trigger points or knots in soft tissues, including strengths in joints such as shoulders, hips, or elbows. It also treats plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendonitis, and other soft-tissue injuries and conditions. The goal of treatment is to help relieve pain and improve the range of motion in the area.
Common Causes of Elbow Pain in Citrus Heights, CA
Tennis Elbow
Tennis elbow develops over time and is typically caused by elbow overuse. It affects your ability to bend your wrist and grip items with your hand. Tennis elbow is generally found in older people and those who perform repetitive motions that stress the elbow, such as tennis players, painters, carpenters, and computer users. Tennis Elbow is inflammation of the tendons inside your elbow, which hosts extensor muscles there. If left untreated, it causes sharp pain inside your elbow, gradually becoming more severe. It’s often the case that this pain can be disguised by your movements and be very difficult to recognize. Usually, you’ll feel it right when you grasp something with your hand, but sometimes it can be on the side of your elbow near the joint.
Golfer’s Elbow
Golfer’s elbow is a type of tendinitis that develops at the inside part of your elbow. It’s typically caused by repetitive gripping and releasing motions in golf. One example of a Golfer’s elbow is a condition where there is inflammation of the extensor muscles on the inside of your elbow, resulting in a sharp pain that becomes worse over time if left untreated. It’s also caused by sudden movements that put a lot of stress on your elbow, such as jerking your hand away quickly from a hot stove or another source of injury. These injuries can lead to pain, swelling and inflammation in the tendon.
Bursitis
Bursitis is an inflammation of the soft tissues around the elbow joint (bursa). Pain and swelling affect the joint, which blocks muscles from working smoothly and may lead to pain due to restricted movement. It’s caused by various things, such as injury or repetitive motion, but usually occurs due to an underlying condition such as tendonitis or gout. It can happen in either of the two elbow joints and can be mild to severe depending on the condition that caused it. Bursitis is typically found in people who are over-using joints, such as those who have arthritis or are overweight. You can be prone to bursitis if you have excess weight in your arms or hands or use your components a lot, such as by lifting weights. It can occur in any part of the upper arm but is most commonly found in the elbow.
Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis is a form of arthritis that occurs when the cartilage in your joints wears down, and the underlying bone rubs on each other. It usually affects large weight-bearing joints such as knees, hips, and shoulders, though elbow osteoarthritis is becoming more common because people live longer. The early stage of osteoarthritis is known as osteoarthritis spine degeneration. This type of osteoarthritis is relatively painless and involves instability of the elbow joint with no loss of movement. It’s caused by stress on the joint from overuse or ageing. Symptoms of elbow osteoarthritis include pain that worsens when reaching for something overhead or when trying to make a fist, difficulty in straightening the elbow, and weakness in gripping activities.
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, inflammatory joint disease that causes joint pain, stiffness, and swelling. It’s an autoimmune disease that can occur for many years before symptoms arise. Pain and inflammation are typically worse in the mornings and after periods of inactivity. It’s more common in people who are over the age of 40, with women being twice as likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis than men are. Rheumatoid arthritis affects the small joints throughout your body, including those in your hand, wrist, fingers, elbow, and shoulders. It can also lead to a loss of range of motion and bone deformity. Elbow rheumatoid arthritis causes pain, swelling, and stiffness in the elbow joint.
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7508 Sunrise Blvd, Citrus Heights, CA 95610
Frequently Asked Questions
What causes elbow pain without injury?
Elbow pain without injury is widespread, especially in people with elbow pain from repetitive motions, such as desk workers and those who live a lifestyle where they reach overhead significantly. Painful elbows can be a symptom of other issues like the discs in your spine causing compression or swelling in your elbow or the synovium in your elbow becoming inflamed. Mild joint inflammation can also cause pain and inflammation in the elbow joint. An hour or so after you’ve injured it, the joint will be swelling and tenderness. It’s essential to learn the signs of your specific injury to be attentive to the symptoms you’re experiencing. Muscle spasms may also cause pain in the elbow area and are often mistaken for a sports injury.
Can chiropractic help tendonitis?
Reduced flexibility in your joints can lead to injury and stiffness in your elbow, which is one of the symptoms of tendonitis. If you have activities that put a lot of stress on your elbow and eventually lead to pain if it’s not treated, you should consider bringing yourself in for an assessment with our team. We can help you address all the factors leading to pain and inflammation in the elbow joint. Getting into treatment as quickly as possible is essential to prevent the pain from worsening.
Can carpal tunnel cause elbow pain?
Carpal tunnel is a symptom of a more severe condition known as carpal tunnel syndrome. Carpal tunnel syndrome is when the tissues surrounding and supporting your wrist bone become inflamed and swollen. This condition typically affects the thumb, wrist and forearm but can also affect your elbow or shoulder. It’s caused by trauma to the median nerve in your wrist and upper arm. The median nerve innervates muscles, ligaments and tendons that connect the hand to the forearm, elbow and shoulder. When this nerve becomes inflamed due to trauma or repetitive motion, it causes pain and swelling in joints such as the wrist, elbow or shoulder. Treating carpal tunnel syndrome is essential because it can cause several long-term symptoms, such as a loss of strength, weakness and pain in the wrist, hand and fingers.
What is better physical therapy or a chiropractor?
Physical therapy and chiropractic care can help treat elbow pain, though chiropractic is typically more effective than physical therapy. It depends on how severe your injury is, what caused it and how you treat it. If you’re receiving physical therapy after a carpal tunnel release, we can help rehabilitate your hand, wrist and upper arm to protect the median nerve. Suppose you’ve had an injection or surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome. In that case, our doctors can treat your condition with regular adjustments that allow the nerve to heal and improve its quality of life while reducing inflammation in the affected joints. It would help if you stayed injury-free so that we can keep your elbow joint healthier.
How do I know if I have arthritis in my elbow?
Several physical characteristics may indicate that you have arthritis in your elbow. In general, elbow osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis in the elbow, but rheumatoid arthritis can also cause pain and stiffness in your joints. The good news is that either condition can be treated with chiropractic care, exercise and lifestyle changes. You are determined to find out if you have arthritis. You can attempt to perform a self-diagnosis. Ask yourself how often you’re experiencing pain, how it feels when it occurs, what causes it, and how long it lasts. It may take a little time to get your answers, but you can feel better once you do.
Can an X-Ray show elbow tendinitis?
X-rays can sometimes show elbow tendinitis, but these scans cannot tell you the severity of your injury. It’s best to take an X-ray if you’ve had a fall or other traumatic event that has caused elbow pain. Elbow X-rays can show fractures, dislocations and other serious issues that should be treated by a professional.
$139 New Patient Special
Consultation, Exam, and MRI or X-ray Imaging Review with the Doctor
Not sure if decompression is right for you? Start here. The doctor will review your imaging and your case directly.
