From the Guidelines
Treatment for elbow strain should prioritize rest, ice, compression, and elevation (RICE) for the first 48-72 hours after injury, as well as gentle stretching and strengthening exercises to restore range of motion and prevent stiffness, as recommended by the most recent study 1. The goal of treatment is to reduce pain and inflammation, promote tissue healing, and prevent chronic issues.
- Rest the affected arm and avoid activities that worsen pain.
- Apply ice packs for 15-20 minutes every 2-3 hours to reduce pain and inflammation.
- Use an elastic bandage for compression and keep the elbow elevated when possible.
- Over-the-counter pain medications like ibuprofen (400-600mg every 6-8 hours with food) or acetaminophen (500-1000mg every 4-6 hours, not exceeding 4000mg daily) can help manage pain and reduce inflammation, as suggested by 1 and 1. After the acute phase, gentle stretching and strengthening exercises should be gradually introduced to restore range of motion and prevent stiffness.
- These might include wrist flexion/extension, forearm rotation, and gentle elbow bending. If pain persists beyond 2 weeks, worsens, or is accompanied by significant swelling or inability to move the joint, medical attention should be sought as more serious injury may be present, as indicated by 1. Physical therapy might be recommended for moderate to severe strains. Elbow strains occur when muscles or tendons around the joint are overstretched or torn, often from repetitive motions or sudden force, and proper treatment helps prevent chronic issues and promotes tissue healing, as discussed in 1 and 1.
From the Research
Elbow Strain Treatment Options
- Physical therapy intervention and corticosteroid injection are two common treatment options for lateral elbow tendinopathy, with physical therapy providing intermediate to long-term effects and corticosteroid injection providing beneficial short-term effects 2
- Manual therapy and exercise are often used together or separately to treat lateral elbow pain, with low-certainty evidence suggesting that manual therapy may reduce pain and disability at the end of treatment, but the effects may not be sustained 3
- A service evaluation of physiotherapy practice in the management of tennis elbow found that education and exercise were the most commonly used treatments, but there was a wide variation in treatment approaches and a lack of consistency in the choice of modality used 4
Comparison of Treatment Options
- A randomised trial comparing mobilisation with movement and exercise, corticosteroid injection, or wait and see for tennis elbow found that physiotherapy was superior to wait and see in the short term and to corticosteroid injections after six weeks 5
- A narrative literature review on the management of lateral epicondylitis found that the optimal treatment strategy for chronic lateral epicondylitis remains controversial, but emerging evidence suggests that a combination of physical therapy and exercise may be an effective treatment option 6
Treatment Outcomes
- Physical therapy intervention has been shown to provide intermediate to long-term effects, with less additional treatment and low recurrence rate in patients with lateral elbow tendinopathy 2
- Manual therapy and exercise may slightly reduce pain and disability at the end of treatment, but the effects may not be sustained and may not be clinically worthwhile 3
- Corticosteroid injection has been shown to have significant short-term benefits, but high recurrence rates and poorer outcomes in the long term compared to physiotherapy 5