By Steve Butler

Inflammation of a tendon, a band of tissue that connects the muscles to the bones in the human body, is the main cause of elbow tendonitis. The tendons become painful and tender and there is a creaking sensation you move the elbow joint.

Tendons are much tougher than muscles but if they are injured they take a longer time to heal than muscles as their blood supply is not as good as the supply to the rest of the tissues. Most tendon injuries occur during sport related activities due to repeated strains of the elbow joint that is likely to cause elbow tendonitis.

Repeated gripping activity can cause inflammation of the tendon inside the elbow joint. The bone that is prominent on the outside of the arm at the elbow joint can become inflamed leading to elbow tendonitis.

The first step that you have to take to relieve elbow pain is to rest the affected area from the activity that caused the problem. Different kinds of physiotherapy, stretching exercises and cortisone injections may be administered as the part of the treatment plan for relieving the pain caused due to elbow tendonitis.

The most common disorders of the elbow are strain and inflammation of the muscles in the region leading to elbow tendonitis. The inflammation of the group of muscles in the forearm that are attached to the bone on the outside of the elbow can also cause pain while you are doing your daily activities, particularly when you are making rotational movements of the elbow joint.

The tip of the elbow may become painful if the bursa (sac containing synovial fluid or the lubricating fluid) is injured and becomes inflamed or infected. To prevent the inflammation from becoming worse it is important to avoid repetitive movements of the elbow as well as any other movements that are likely to increase the pain. You also have to adopt the right techniques while indulging in sports related activities to avoid elbow tendonitis.

A heat pack applied against the elbow can give relief from pain. For more severe cases of elbow tendonitis, a cortico-steroid injection may be given directly into the affected area. This helps you to get relief from the pain in a day or two. Adequate rest should be given to the injured joint before resuming your activities, as resuming the activities too early may be the cause of another episode of the pain.