New York Elbow Surgeon

Your elbow is essential to your range of motion in your arm, making it hard to do much without it! Elbow injuries can occur in any number of ways for athletes, from overuse to an incident in a game. Living with elbow pain can be frustrating, but more than that, it can be extremely limiting and at times, excruciating. If you’ve recently suffered an elbow injury or have been living with elbow pain for an extended period of time, it’s time to make an appointment with a New York elbow surgeon today! 

These are the most common elbow injuries for athletes:

Ulnar Neuritis

Ulnar neuritis, also known as cubital tunnel syndrome, is inflammation of the ulnar nerve that can cause severe pain, numbness, tingling, and muscle weakness in your hands and arms. This happens more often to athletes who repetitively throw something, causing the ulnar nerve to stretch frequently and potentially rupture. Once the ulnar nerve is inflamed, athletes may feel pain that resembles electric shocks from their funny bone passing along the nerve through their forearm. 

Tendinitis 

Tendinitis is the inflammation of a tendon. This occurs when a person injures or overuses a tendon, often seen in sports as well as professions that involve repetitive motion, like carpenters or plumbers. Two common types of tendinitis are golfer’s elbow and tennis elbow, which refer to two different forms of inflammation of the tendons in the elbow. Golfer’s elbow entails irritation and/or inflammation to the flexor tendon on the inside of your elbow while tennis elbow involves inflammation to the extensor tendon on the outside of your elbow. If rest, over-the-counter pain medication, and icing your elbow don’t help, then it’s time to reach out to a New York elbow surgeon to see if surgery is needed. 

Ulnar Collateral Ligament (UCL) Injury

An injury to the UCL is usually caused by repetitive overhead movement, which is most commonly found in sports such as baseball, volleyball and javelin. This type of injury is frequently caused by a gradual tear of the UCL, but can also be a singular event that causes the tendon to rupture completely, sometimes resulting in a popping sound. Treatment for UCL injuries ranges from rest and physical therapy to surgery, depending on the severity of the injury and your timeline for the healing process. 

Olecranon Stress Fracture

One of the most common elbow injuries for athletes is an olecranon stress fracture. This injury is characterized by the weakening of the muscles around your elbow resulting in the inability to absorb the shock from repetitive throwing, causing the stress to be transferred to the bone until a stress fracture to the olecranon bone occurs. If restricting movement of the arm using equipment such as a splint or sling cannot heal the olecranon fracture over time, surgery is frequently recommended.

Valgus Extension Overload (VEO)

Valgus extension overload, also known as pitcher’s elbow, occurs when the protective cartilage on the olecranon bone in your elbow wears away over time due to repetitive movements, causing bone spurs to develop. Athlete’s with VEO usually display symptoms such as inflammation and pain at the point of contact where the two bones rub come into contact with one another. 

Make An Appointment With A New York Elbow Surgeon

If you’ve recently suffered an elbow injury, or if you’ve been living with elbow pain for an extended period of time, make an appointment with us at OrthoManhattan. You’ll be treated by only the best New York elbow surgeon that New York City has to offer! To get an appointment on the books, all you have to do is click here or submit a contact form on the right side of this page.