Causes of Elbow Pain
       Trigger point produced elbow pain is often mistaken as "tennis elbow", "golfer's elbow", or tendonitis. The forearm muscles are easily overloaded by popular sports and repetitive work activities. In addition, muscle groups in the shoulder region can contain trigger points that refer pain to the elbow.

The Muscles and Trigger Points that Cause Elbow Pain
There are six muscles that can contain trigger points that refer pain to the elbow. The three most commonly affected muscle groups are:
  • The Triceps Brachii
  • The Supinator
  • The Brachioradialis
       The Tricep Brachii muscle group is located on the back of the upper arm. It attaches to the upper arm bone (the humerus), the shoulder blade, and the inside forearm bone (the ulna). When you straighten your arm, you contract the Triceps muscle to do so. This muscle group can contain up to five trigger points. Referred pain from theses trigger points is experienced on both the inside and outside aspects of the elbow joint, as well as in the rear shoulder region. Pain from these trigger points typically occurs when a person tries to forcefully straighten the arm, like when performing a back hand stroke in tennis.
      The Supinator muscle group is a small, flat muscle that wraps around the outside aspect of the elbow joint. This muscle contracts when you rotate your forearm, like when you make a thumbs-up gesture. The trigger point in this muscle refers pain to the outside aspect of the elbow joint. Sometimes the pain will also be experienced in the web of the thumb. In general, the pain occurs during activities like playing tennis, or carrying a heavy briefcase.
      The Brachioradialis muscle group is a long, thin muscle that attaches to the upper arm bone (the humerus) and to the two forearm bones (the radius and ulna bones). This muscle contracts to flex the elbow (bend the arm). Much like the Supinator muscle, the trigger point in the Brachioradialis refers pain to the outside aspect of the elbow joint, and sometimes to the web of the thumb. A person with an active trigger point in this muscle would feel pain and weakness as they reached to grasp something, like a door knob, or to shake a hand.
blocks_image
blocks_image
blocks_image
Important: The following content is provided for information purposes only. A proper diagnosis of any condition requires a physical examination by a licensed doctor.