Your elbow is a complex joint that serves many functions during your everyday activities. Certain sports, like tennis, baseball, and wrestling, also rely heavily on the elbow.
That’s why elbow injuries, including elbow sprains, are fairly common. A sprained elbow is a ligament injury that happens when you’ve stretched the ligament too much.
Elbow sprains usually happen because of either a traumatic injury or overuse of the joint. Minor elbow sprains often can heal on their own, with at-home care. More severe sprains can take longer to heal, and torn ligaments may need surgery.
UPMC providers are experts at diagnosing and treating the whole range of elbow injuries.
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An elbow sprain is a ligament injury.
Your ligaments are thick, rope-like bands of tissue that connect your bones to each other. Ligaments aren’t the same as tendons, which connect muscle to bone.
In your elbow, the ligaments connect the bones of your upper and lower arm to your elbow joint. You have ligaments on both the outside and inside of your elbow. Spraining your elbow means that you’ve overstretched or even torn one or more of these ligaments.
Sometimes people say they have a sprained arm, but chances are, it’s an elbow injury.
Sprained elbows are common, especially among athletes.
One study looked at elbow injuries among NCAA athletes from multiple sports over a five-year period. Researchers found that ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) injuries were the most common, representing more than 25% of all elbow injuries.
Doctors grade sprains by how severe they are:
You can sprain your elbow when you suddenly put too much force on it. This can happen when you:
Anyone can sprain their elbow, but some people are more likely to get this injury.
The most common elbow sprain risk factors are:
Severe sprains can make your elbow unstable, which can make you more likely to re-sprain the ligament.
If you tear a ligament and don’t get medical attention, it may not heal properly. This can mean chronic pain and loss of mobility of the joint.
The signs and symptoms of an elbow sprain can happen right after you injure your elbow, or they may develop shortly after.
Sprained elbow symptoms include:
If you can’t move your elbow or put any weight on it, you should seek care at either an emergency room or a same-day orthopaedic clinic.
A primary care doctor can diagnose an elbow sprain. But for specialized care, consider seeing a sports medicine or orthopaedic doctor. UPMC Orthopaedic Care is leading the way in treating many elbow injuries.
You may not need any imaging tests because doctors often can diagnose a sprain by just examining your elbow.
If they want to check for ligament damage or rule out a fracture, your doctor may order:
The best way is to start with the most conservative treatment.
You can usually treat mild sprains at home, by following these steps:
You may need to wear a sling for a few weeks to keep your arm and elbow from moving. Your doctor may also suggest a cast or split, but usually only if you have severe pain.
As soon as you start feeling better, you can return to your activities. But you should take it easy for a while.
If you have a grade III sprain, where you’ve torn your ligament, you may need surgery. Your orthopaedic surgeon will talk to you about the different options. This includes surgery for elbow ligament reconstruction.
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