Tennis or golfers elbow are very common elbow conditions causing pain or discomfort. Tennis elbow is an inflammation of the tendons of the wrist extensors on the outside of the elbow and golfer elbow is inflammation of the flexors on the inner side. These conditions can be caused by any repetitive strain injury that loads the muscles in the area. This leads to pain and tenderness in the inside or outside of the elbow, which can radiate into to forearm.

Another condition is student’s elbow – an inflammation of the bursa of the outer side of the elbow. This fluid filled sac can get irritated with prolonged leaning on elbows – and thus the name.

Often when falling on an outstretched hand, the elbow gets damaged by compression or over bending. This can result in a strain of the ligaments or even a rupture. The elbow joint can get jammed and be painful when moving.

One of the very widespread conditions of the wrist is carpal tunnel syndrome. A narrowing of the canal through which the nerves that supply the hand occurs and leads to tingling, numbness and weakness in the hand. It often occurs at people who do repetitive and strenuous work with their hands, office workers, who keep their hands extended when typing or on the mouse, and very often it occurs during pregnancy.

Pain in the ring and little can also be cause by entrapment of the ulnar nerve. Leaning on the elbow, or having it flexed for prolonged periods of time can cause the canal through which the nerve passes to get narrower and impinge on the ulnar nerve.

Pins and needles, weakness and pain in the wrist and hand can be caused by impingement and irritation of the nerves elsewhere. This often happens in the neck, where the nerves are leaving the spinal cord, or under the collarbone, where they can get compressed by the ribs and tight muscles.

An osteopathic consultation can help diagnose what exactly is the problem and if it is coming from somewhere else. Treatment can help reduce inflammation, stretch tight musculature, mobilize joints and release impinged nerves. Working on the many bones of the wrist and hand requires knowledge and good precision. Treating elbow and wrist pain, often starts with addressing issues with the back, neck and shoulders, because they determine the position and mobility of the joints of the arm and hand.