The elbow joint is the junction of the humerus and the bones of the forearm (radial and ulnar), which has many functions of the human hand. The most common are flexion-extension, rotation.
Very often the elbow joint is subjected to mechanical damage. In addition, this process is accompanied by severe pain. This is due to the fact that the nerve trunks are located quite close to the joint. Very often, with this type of damage, not only acute pain and redness occurs, but also a swelling, a bump on the elbow joint, is formed.
Another disease that affects the elbow joint is arthritis. It most often appears after mechanical trauma, infectious diseases (tuberculosis, measles, gonorrhea, and others), with purulent infection of tissues, impaired metabolic processes in the body, diseases of the connective tissue (psoriasis, rheumatism, lupus).
It should be noted that purulent arthritis of the elbow joint in acute form develops quite quickly. The patient’s body temperature rises sharply, symptoms of intoxication appear (headaches, nausea, general muscle weakness), the damaged area of the arm swells and heats up. Of course, this is accompanied by strong painful sensations that must be immediately eliminated. The main treatment for this lesion of the elbow joint is the opening of a purulent focus and thorough cleansing of the contents.
If the elbow joint is affected by psoriatic or rheumatoid arthritis, then the symptoms appear gradually (not like in the first case). Of course, pain begins to appear, which intensifies with arm movements. The cause of the pain is swelling of the joint capsule, which leads to pressure on the nerve endings. Often, damage is accompanied by swelling and a feeling of stiffness after prolonged joint rest.
The main mistake in the self-treatment of arthritis of the elbow joint is the restriction of movement, which supposedly reduces pain. But such a decision can lead to ankylosis, which becomes a violation of movement in the future. It is advisable to seek professional help from a medical institution, since the final result also depends on the speed of treatment.
As a rule, a conservative method is used, which involves the immobilization of the elbow joint, the use of anti-inflammatory drugs and chondroprotectors. Chondroprotectors contribute to the improvement of metabolic processes occurring in the tissues of the elbow joint, stimulate the regeneration of tissue cells, slow down the destruction of the joint, prevent the development of bone mass atrophy, etc.
First of all, it is necessary to apply an anesthetic and relieve inflammation. After the first stage of treatment and reducing the degree of pain intensity, therapeutic massage, physiotherapy exercises and physiotherapy are prescribed, which are aimed at restoring the motor function of the arm. In physiotherapy exercises it is customary to include aerobic exercises, a power complex, and motor exercises selected specifically for a particular muscle group.
Only if conservative treatment does not bring any positive results can a decision be made on surgical intervention. As a rule, surgeons begin surgery only in the most advanced cases. For example, if necessary, correct the shape of the elbow joint or the total replacement of damaged areas. But this often leads to limited mobility of the hand, so it is advisable to start treatment in the early stages of the disease.