[caption id="attachment_71791" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Freepix image[/caption] The elbow is arguably one of the most used joints in the body. It allows us to bend our arm, which means it is used for most daily activities. From scratching your noise to playing sports, your elbow is a necessity. This means that when something is wrong with your elbow, it can be extremely frustrating and seriously impact your quality of life. Unfortunately, it can be quite difficult to know which elbow condition you’re experiencing, as there are so many of them. Let’s take a look at some of the most common elbow ailments, to give you a better idea of what you might be dealing with.

Tennis Elbow

Tennis elbow is one of the most common elbow conditions. It arises from repetitive stress on the tendons connecting the forearm muscles to the bone. Symptoms include pain on the outside of the elbow, pain that radiates from the elbow down to the back of the hand, and a weakened ability to grip objects. Fortunately, tennis elbow is extremely treatable. For minor cases, rest, icing the elbow,  and the use of over-the-counter pain relievers may be all that is necessary. If these are not enough, physical therapy and the use of corticosteroids may be used. In rare cases, surgery may be needed to repair the tendon.