Elbow Pain
Elbow Pain & Injury Treatment in Scottsdale
Your elbows are involved in almost every movement of your arms—from lifting and gripping to throwing, swinging, typing, and everyday activities. Repetitive stress, sports, and injuries can place significant strain on the muscles, tendons, and joints surrounding the elbow.
At Body Check Chiropractic, Dr. Matt Tanneberg evaluates the elbow along with the wrist, hand, shoulder, and surrounding muscles to identify factors that may be contributing to your symptoms. Treatment is personalized to your specific condition, activity level, and goals.
Whether you're an athlete, active individual, or dealing with elbow pain from repetitive daily activities, Dr. Matt can determine whether chiropractic and soft tissue care may be appropriate.
Common Elbow Injuries & Conditions
Tennis Elbow
Tennis elbow, also known as lateral epicondylitis, involves irritation or degeneration of the tendons that attach to the outside of the elbow. Despite its name, you don't have to play tennis to develop it.
Repetitive gripping, lifting, typing, manual work, and racquet sports can all contribute to this condition.
Common symptoms include:
Pain on the outside of the elbow
Pain with gripping
Weakness in the hand or forearm
Pain when lifting objects
Tenderness around the outside of the elbow
Discomfort with wrist movement
Golfer's Elbow
Golfer's elbow, also known as medial epicondylitis, affects the tendons that attach to the inside of the elbow.
It can develop from repetitive gripping, throwing, swinging, lifting, or other activities that repeatedly load the forearm.
Symptoms may include:
Pain on the inside of the elbow
Forearm discomfort
Pain with gripping
Weakness
Tenderness
Pain with wrist or forearm movement
Elbow Tendinopathy
Repeated stress can cause irritation and changes within the tendons around the elbow. Tendinopathy may develop gradually and can become persistent when the underlying factors aren't addressed.
Treatment may focus on improving the function of the surrounding muscles and gradually restoring the elbow's ability to tolerate activity.
Elbow Sprains & Strains
Falls, sports injuries, collisions, or sudden movements can strain the muscles, tendons, and ligaments around the elbow.
Symptoms may include pain, swelling, stiffness, weakness, and reduced range of motion.
Bursitis
The elbow contains a bursa that helps reduce friction around the joint. Irritation of this structure can cause swelling and tenderness, particularly over the back of the elbow.
Elbow Joint Restrictions
The elbow can develop restrictions in normal joint movement following an injury, repetitive stress, or periods of reduced activity. Limited mobility can affect the way the arm, wrist, and shoulder function.
Symptoms of Elbow Problems
Elbow conditions can cause:
Pain on the inside or outside of the elbow
Tenderness
Stiffness
Swelling
Reduced range of motion
Pain with gripping
Forearm pain
Weakness
Pain when lifting or carrying
Discomfort with throwing or swinging
Symptoms may also extend into the forearm, wrist, or hand depending on the structures involved.
How Body Check Chiropractic Can Help
Treatment depends on the cause of your elbow pain and the structures involved. Dr. Matt may use one or a combination of therapies based on your individual condition.
Extremity Adjustments
The elbow, wrist, and hand contain numerous joints that can develop movement restrictions. Extremity adjustments may help restore joint mobility and improve movement throughout the arm.
Dr. Matt may also evaluate the shoulder and other areas of the upper extremity that influence elbow mechanics.
Myofascial Release
Tension and restrictions in the forearm, biceps, triceps, shoulder, and surrounding muscles can contribute to elbow problems. Myofascial release can help address soft tissue restrictions and improve mobility.
StemWave Shockwave Therapy
For appropriate tendon and soft tissue conditions, StemWave Shockwave Therapy may be incorporated to target areas of persistent pain or tissue dysfunction and support the body's natural recovery response.
This can be particularly relevant for certain chronic tendon conditions involving the elbow.
ARPwave Neuromuscular Therapy
ARPwave uses targeted electrical stimulation to interact with the neuromuscular system. It may be incorporated to support muscle activation, strength, recovery, and function following injury or when muscle dysfunction is contributing to elbow pain.
Cupping Therapy
Cupping may be incorporated to target muscular tension and soft tissue restriction throughout the forearm, elbow, upper arm, and shoulder.
PEMF Therapy
The Zimmer EMfield provides Pulsed Electromagnetic Field therapy and may be incorporated into a recovery program to support circulation and the body's natural recovery processes.
Red Light Therapy
The ARCC Red Light Therapy Bed may be used as an additional recovery therapy. Red and near-infrared light exposure is designed to support cellular function and the body's natural recovery processes.
Cold Plunge Therapy
For athletes and active individuals, cold plunge therapy may be incorporated into a broader recovery routine to help manage exercise-related soreness and support recovery following physical activity.
Don't Just Treat the Elbow
The elbow works as part of a larger movement system. The shoulder, elbow, wrist, and hand all work together during activities such as throwing, gripping, swinging, and lifting.
For athletes, this is especially important. A tennis player with elbow pain may have contributing factors involving their wrist, shoulder, or upper back. Similarly, a golfer's elbow symptoms may be influenced by mechanics throughout the entire arm.
Dr. Matt evaluates the surrounding joints and muscles to identify movement restrictions and other factors that may be contributing to your elbow symptoms.
Elbow Pain in Athletes
Tennis elbow and golfer's elbow aren't limited to tennis players and golfers. Any activity involving repetitive gripping, swinging, throwing, or lifting can place stress on the elbow and forearm.
Whether you're playing tennis, golf, pickleball, baseball, weightlifting, or simply performing repetitive work, addressing the underlying movement and tissue issues can be an important part of getting back to the activities you enjoy.
Personalized Elbow Care
Every elbow condition is different. Some patients have an acute injury, while others develop chronic tendon pain from months or years of repetitive stress.
Dr. Matt takes the time to understand your symptoms, activity level, injury history, and goals before developing your treatment plan. Your care may include extremity adjustments, soft tissue therapy, StemWave, ARPwave, or other recovery technologies depending on your individual needs.
At Body Check Chiropractic, you'll work directly with Dr. Matt at every visit, providing consistent one-on-one care throughout your recovery.
When Elbow Pain Requires Further Evaluation
Severe pain following a significant injury, obvious deformity, significant swelling, or inability to move or use the arm normally should be medically evaluated.
Persistent elbow pain, significant weakness, numbness or tingling, or symptoms that aren't improving may also require further evaluation or imaging.
If you're looking for elbow pain treatment in Scottsdale, Body Check Chiropractic provides personalized chiropractic and sports therapy designed to help restore mobility, improve function, and get you back to the activities you enjoy.