This is a rare injury that can occur in contact sports like football or wrestling, with a fall, or other forms of trauma like a car accident. Sometimes this injury can feel like a sudden pop or tearing sensation. Sometimes you have to have the joint put back into place by a doctor. If you suspect an elbow dislocation injury, it is important to seek immediate care to evaluate for an injury to blood vessels, nerves, and bones. At Sports Health Northwest, we want to help support you and help you recuperate from this injury.
Elbow Dislocation
While elbow dislocations can result in simultaneous ligament, cartilage, and bone injury to the elbow, post traumatic arthritis of the elbow after a dislocation can also result from instability and inflammation of the joint over time leading to additional elbow stiffness and pain.
Elbow dislocations can affect teens as well as adults and benefit from early detection and treatment. Treatment can include immobilization, bracing for support, and progression of rehabilitation. It is also important to look for other injury to tendons, ligaments, and bone. At Sports Health Northwest, our sports injury doctor can carefully evaluate your elbow and utilize imaging resources to effectively diagnose and treat causes of elbow arthritis.
Individuals with elbow pain and instability from a dislocation commonly present to the clinic with swelling, brusing, stiffness, and pain affecting the joint. The pain and swelling and stiffness usually improve within a few weeks.
If you have recently sustained an elbow injury and are concerned about the pain, stiffness or even long term outcomes from the injury, contact your physician. Our sports injury doctor will thoroughly evaluate your concerns and provide you with a variety of available medical treatments to help restore function and get you back to pain free activity.
The pain associated with an elbow dislocation usually responds well to non-surgical treatments. At Sports Health Northwest, we are happy to discuss treatment options with you to help your elbow pain get better.
