Try this exercise to strengthen your elbow
On one occasion while playing basketball, I was knocked off of my feet, and I landed onto my left elbow. Thankfully, my elbow was not fractured, although it did bruise up substantially.
In addition to some swelling, I soon noticed an inability to straighten out my elbow. For many months my elbow remained unable to completely straighten. I ended up consulting an orthopedist and a physical therapist, and their advice was invaluable…
Elbows respond to slow and gentle stretching.
Elbow fractures, elbow surgeries, and general elbow trauma all can have the unfortunate consequence of “contractures,” or lags in range of motion. I have found that the soft tissue of the elbow does not respond favorably to aggressive stretching. Aggressive pushing of the ranges of motion will actually cause the elbow to become more inflamed, and in many cases, the contracture will worsen.
The soft tissue of the elbow tends to agree with a slower, gentler stretch imposed over a longer period of time. If you cannot fully straighten your elbow, try this simple exercise. (See photo above of man lying down)
1. Lie on the floor “face upwards” and place a pillow under your forearm so that your arm may rest with a slight amount of stretch. Make sure that your shoulder does not lift off the floor as you lie in this position. Adjust the amount of support under the forearm if necessary.
2. Allow your elbow to rest into extension over ten to fifteen minutes. Gently press your forearm down into the pillow for ten seconds every minute by contracting your triceps muscles.
3. As your range of motion improves, use less of a support under your forearm.
4. The level of stretch imposed on your shoulder during this exercise should be a “one or two” out of a scale of ten. If you are encountering too much stretch, adjust the pillow under your forearm to allow a more comfortable amount of flexion.
My son is a pitcher and is having a slight drop in velocity, we’ve noticed he cannot fully straighten his throwing arm and we would like to know if there are stretches or exercises he can do to regain his full range of motion. We are considering going to have it looked at but the strange thing is he does not experience pain and we don’t know how long it’s been like this. I have a picture I can send.
I have seen people lose a bit of extension in the elbow with repetitive stress injuries. I would have him take a week off to let any involved structure heal. I have seen the biceps involved often with this type of injury. It could also be the elbow capsule. Regardless, having a doc look at it would be a good idea.
I severely smashed my elbow in late February after a fall. I am 57 and have osteoporosis. I work in special ed and was out of work till June 1. I have had a great deal of rehab, initially OT through April and then PT which I am stll pursuing. I had a great deal of scar tissue as I had a splint on for an extra week due to my incision not healing. In addition I have been using a JAS brace since April. As stated, I am still doing therapy but only 1 or 2 times a week due to insurance restrictions. I was going 3 times a week up until July. The therapist has been working very hard with me. It can be quite painful. I also do many exercises. But I still need 10 degrees flexion and 10 degrees extension to be functional. I dont want more extensive surgery but may decide to get the one plate removed from my arm (I have 3 plates and screws) since it is close to the surface. I dont want a contraction release – who knows if it would make things better anyway? Any thoughts on how I can get more range of motion. It has been a long ordeal.
Sometimes the hardware that the doc put in you can cause a physical restriction to the ranges of motion. I would ask the doc if he or she thinks if this is an issue. In the mean time I would stick to a slow, light, prolonged stretch to the elbow with the JAS brace. This can take up to a year, or sometimes longer to get a max return of ranges of motion.
I had an orif elbow surgery 5 weeks ago. I was in a car accident and had four different surges and I was pregnant. My concern is that I don’t know exactly what exercises to do on my elbow to get it to be able to bed more I have tried bringing it up slowly back and forth and it is working but I’m just wondering if you know any other exercises that I can do to gain more range of motion? The doctor told me that if I do not gain motion of my elbow they are going to have to do another surgery and I really do not want to do surgery again my body is exhausted
At 5 weeks post-op I think that the active range of motion is the best thing to do. There is still some healing that needs to take place. I think that having some “hands on” guidance from a physical therapist would be a good idea as you progress. You are going to have to be super patient about this.
Hi Doctor
It has been 3 months (from 14Apr) when I had an accident, fell off my bike and had distal humerus medial epicondyle fractured. Was given plaster slab for a week and then a permanent plaster for 2 months. After removing plaster I was advised for PT. ROM improved a lot however not able to straighten and contract completely. About 10-12 degrees felling short when straighten. Pls advise if I will be ever able to straighten my left elbow ever.
Eagerly waiting for your advice.
Thank you
It is still early and may take a few more months to recover more range of motion. I would work on light stretches every day. Elbows can be tricky and become inflamed if you push them too hard. I have found that it is better to place a mild to moderate stretch over longer periods of time. It may be a good idea to see a PT to have it assessed as well.
Hello Doctor,
about 3 weeks ago, I was doing olympic lifting, and I had an elbow injury, severe sprain of my ulnar collateral ligament. I had a splint on for about 2 weeks, and took it off to start stretches. I’ve been doing the pronation and supination of my arm up to a point of pain. Now it’s not painful to do it.
then I started to flex and straighten my arm, which goes to a 135 degrees without pain, but since I did that stretched my arm started hurting again from the inside. I am not sure if it’s sore, or I hurt the ligaments again.
What would you recommend me to do? keep stretching it slowly? I do want to get back to lifting soon, but I know I have to be patient.
thanks,
Andrea
Take your time. I would do only light active ranges of motion for at least the next two weeks. Don’t push into pain. Let it heal.
Hi I am Rahul from India I fell of from bike and I got dislocated my elbow it’s posterior elbow dislocation, the doctor is given anesthesia and performed reduction by manipulation. I used to be with plaster of Paris (POP) for three weeks after that I advised to go to physiotherapy there I feel very painful while my PT is performing movements massively. Then I left the physiotherapy session for about 5 days with fear, later by consulting orthopedist I was taken another anesthesia and manipulation, after this I went to physiotherapy again now I completed 10 session’s of PT but movements are not as expected as they are, and also I got stiffness in elbow region now the physiotherapy is even more painful as in earlier. This is my condition please help me and give an advise what should I do, is there option available other than physiotherapy to gain ROM by performing any surgery. My physiotherapist says there is no option available. And he also says another 8 to 10 session’s you will get your arm back. Totally I taken 20 session of physio but I am unable to straight my arm and I elbow is bending up to 110 degrees only. Please help me…..
I would see if the doctor can prescribe a brace for the elbow that slowly stretches the elbow. It is called a “static progressive brace”. Otherwise I owuld work gently on bending and straightening the elbow every day. Some elbows do not tolerate aggressive stretching with physical therapy. It might be a good idea to do some gentle stretching on your own and see if you make progress.
What type of exercises I have to perform please attach the images. Thanks for the advise it was a lot to me.
Hi Dr
Im Salom from Namibia, please can you help me out?
my case is as follow in 01 May 2016 i fell from a bridge and i fracture my right aleacranon bone (Elbow) and after that i was on a splint almost for a month and 21 June i was operated and K-wire procedure was applied and placed on splint for a 8 weeks and on 17 August my splint was removed and as soon i had checked my x-ray i was shock bcous there was still a gap between the fracture zone and it worry me a lot as l had start with physiotherapy and im really scare because it may disturb the healing process so i would like to if i let the bone heal completely and start the physiotherapy when im sure because im very afraid to go back to the operation room it is not easly at all!
Thank you!
I do think that the bone should be totally healed before any extreme pressure is placed on the joint. It might be okay to do gentle active ranges of motion, but I would ask the doctor about doing anything more than that until the x-ray looks good.
My elbow won’t stretch and my bisep muscle feels hard when I try to extend/straighten the arm. I was recently in a car accident causing a fracture to my arm and dislocating wrist so I have a cast wrapped around my hand but not all the way to my elbow… Any thoughts
Hi there hope you can help me.Recently I had a cycling accident .I damaged my right hand elbow bone got fractured however I went private they sent me home saying its only soft tissue damage.However later that day the surgeon said in fact I broke a bone near the elbow I was only in a cast for 2days which is very strange don’t u think? I was then placed in a splint for a few days.The pain is surreal I am on strong painkillers which is helping the pain and easing the swelling however can’t staighten the arm. I am worried I be out of work for weeks or even months please help me.
Some types of elbow fractures actually do not need to be casted or even aggressively stabilized. I would let the bone heal in the mean time and ask the doc if it is okay to work on gentle active range of motion. If your job is physical in nature, you need to talk to the doc and find out exactly what you are cleared to do.
Fractures hurt by the way, sometimes a lot. That should subside over time.
Hi Doctor,
I dislocate my right elbow on March & start my physiotherapy on mid April. Now i finished up my therapy session but my hand still can’t touch my shoulder. I also feel a little bit of pain & stiffness inside my elbow. Should i just keep pushing my hand towards my shoulder with the help of my left hand or is there any other exercise that i can do?
I would keep working on the range of motion. Sometimes it takes up to a year to get full improvement. I also think that doing light resistance biceps and triceps work should be fine to do.
respected sir, i dislocated my elbow (complete dislocation) 4 weeks back and 1 week before they removed my splint and i cant be able to rotate or twist my hand and i cant straighten my hand?
thanking you………
Start with active ranges of motion (open and close a fist, try to turn the palm down and up etc.), this is going to take much time and effort to recover the lost ranges of motion. I would also see a physical therapist if possible to have this assessed.
hello doctor, i had an complete elbow dislocation 5 weeks back and now my arm is bent at 150 degrees and am nt able to rotate my hand also there is still some swelling which is tight to press..thanking you
Get the doctor’s permission to do some active range of motion, trying to turn the hand upwards and trying to straighten out your elbow are both good ideas. This is going to take a long time to see a return of ranges, perhaps six months or more in many cases.
I am 45 and play national league volleyball. I play as a libero so so mostly underarm pass with arms straight. Over the last 4 months I have noticed that I cannot straighten my left arm fully like the photo above. I have also been a regular gym-goer for 15 years. I am trying the exercises above but I need to know if I can continue playing sport and going to the gym?
The elbow joint may be a bit inflamed. I would take few weeks off from the activities involving that arm and see what happens. If there is a big loss of extension, I would see an orthopedist to maybe have it x-rayed. There are things such as bracing that can be done, but the doc would need to okay it.
I had a super bad ripped just anput all my muscles and tendons exactly three months ago and can only extend my arm about 45 degrees until it completely locks up would that excersice work on me and i start extraneous physical therapy soon
I had a super bad dislocation. I ripped just about all my muscles and tendons exactly three months ago playing basketball and can only extend my arm about 45 degrees until it completely locks up would that excersice work on me and i start extraneous physical therapy soon
You could start with the lying down stretch. I think that it is a good thing that you are starting PT soon.
Hi doc I had dislocated my right elbow on July 7th after 3 weeks pop was removed, I started my physio therapy on August 1st onwards nearly after 20 session’s my ROM is 20 degrees extension and 100 degrees of flexation and I got stiffness in my elbow then i consulted my doctor and they said stop doing passive physiotherapy and do only active physiotherapy by my own now , after 20 days of my own exercises I improved my ROM from 20 to 100 to 15 degrees of extension and 120 degrees of flexation, my PT said you can’t get full extension may be you lost this 15 degrees of extension, I was worried about this is it possible to achieve more extension, if possible what type of exercises I have to follow, please help me…..this is my 46 th day after pop was removed…
You may indeed get more extension, but it is a slow process. It may take up to a year or more to see full return. With a full elbow dislocation, it is very difficult to get to 0 degrees. My guess is that you will get better than 15 degrees over time.
I have a similar situation. What was ur time period over the 20 therapy sessions ? U just gave me hope !! I sustained a left humurus midshaft fracture on May, 14, 2016. I was taken by EMS to CC that same day. They recommened surgery and told me to return monday. I didnt want to wait til monday. So i went to Houston May 15th I ended up In the ER because I was developing symptoms of compartment syndrome. I had no pulse in my left arm. Monday may 16th memorial Hermen in Houston said no surgery., they would put me in a tension cast. I knew the extent of my injury and needed surgery. I saw dr
Stafford following that and had surgery may 23rd . I was then immobilized for 9 days before having surgery. I was then immobilized another 9 days after surgery. Due to the amount of time I was immobilized I have lost a lot / majority function of my left arm; from my shoulder , Elbow , wrist & fingers. The surgeon reported that my radial nerve was trapped inside the fractueem that would have meant had memorial Hermann put me in a tension case my radial nerve would have been sliced off and I would have lost motor function.
I am unable to perform my required job duties. I require assistance to complete most activities at work and many at home.
I went to 2 ERS not one facility would perform surgery immediately, I was given only a Splint and was told to continue all the pain pills that caused other temporary issues with my stomach & bowel movements.
There are many gaps to fill in & a long story if someone could someone please call me in Oder to discuss this. I am worried I will never be hired again as an OTR Secondary to perform required job duties & even working a basic job (pushing baskets at HEB isn’t an option ) I currently only have 1 functioning arm and have exhausted as many other sources to help rehab my arm (PT, chiropractor , massage therapy , extensive home program)
Looking forward to speak to you & would greatly appreciate it.
hello doctor since it has been 6 weeks from complete elbow dislocation my arm is bend at 40 degrees am i unable to get arm straight nd also i cant rotate my hand
Once the doctor gives you permission, you should be rotating the wrist and moving the elbow often. I would consult a PT and get some activity ideas as well.
since it was more than 7weeks from complete elbow dislocation arm is bent at 30 degrees, 110 flex and i cant rotate my hand please help me..i have my police training after 4 months
I would find a physical therapist to get some exercises and supervision. You may also benefit from a brace to assist with gently stretching the end-ranges of motion. The brace is called a “static progressive” brace.
I think i have a torn tricep muscle… I was wrestling around one day and the next day woke up with my lower tricep closest to the elbow on the inside of left arm and top of forearm just under elbow very swolen but didnt notice any bruising…. Next day had very poor range of motion i couldnt extend it very far or pull it in very far with out pain mainly in forearm… After two months of sorta babying it or so i thought i went to a walk in from having extra tricep pain n still not being able to e tend very well but was better than at first… They gave me a steroid shot n steroid pills they lasted i think 2 weeks and gave me a sling n told me to rest it… I completely rested it for two weeks and the tricep pain went down range went up but still not able to fully extend or curl in… Its now been over two months since then n over 4 months total and still cant extend arm or curl in all the way without pain or weekness feeling… Yes better then before but seems to be at a stand still these past two months and im not sure what to do i tried a roller rolling the muscles and tried some streaches i havent had any luck any help or direction would be appreciated thanks
Triceps tears are exceedingly rare. If there was a tear, you would probably feel a lump somewhere in the vicinity of where the muscle becomes a tendon. The more likely explanation is bad tendonitis. I would see a PT and get an evaluation.
Ok ile try that thanks for the quick response
About 1 week and a half ago i went to the hospital because i did a back handspring and i felt a pop on my elbow. It swell up quickly so my mom took me to the hosptal. I had no dislocations or broken bones and they said i would be able to bend and fully straighten my elbow by friday and this way last friday. Till this day i still cant bend or straighten it and they still havent sent me to physical therapy. Are there any exercises i can do at home?
I wouldn’t push it very hard, it probably needs a week or two to heal. Active range of motion should be okay, bending and straightening the elbow WITHOUT using your other hand to help. If it does not improve I would see a PT for an evaluation.
Okay thank you.
Greetings Sir ! The range of motion of my elbow is limited due to a surgical operation on my dislocated right elbow. I think the keloid scar is responsible for limiting the mobility of my elbow but my physical therapist says that it’s okay since our skin is flexible but my scar is located along the joints. Can scar tissue hamper my ability in extending my elbow? One thing, my physical therapist also told me that my bicep muscle became tight that’s why I can’t bend my elbow nor straighten it. Do you know some bicep stretching exercises sir ?Thanks. I’m hoping for your positive response.
I think that usually the elbow capsule is responsible for the tightness in extending the elbow. The capsule can often get “stuck on itself”, particularly if the elbow is immobilized in flexion during the healing process. I would try the passive exercise that is outlined in the blog, lying on your back and letting gravity stretch it for longer periods of time. I would try to build up the amount of time spent in the stretching position. 2 hours of combined time is a great goal.
Hi Sir, it’s me again. Can I make use of a dumbbell while performing the exercise ? Is that exercise you are recommending also applicable for late stage rehabilitation or just for early stage? Can I already regain my elbow’s range of motion in three months? Anyway, thanks for the info sir. I would really try it .Thumbs up on your blog and more power !
I have found that using a dumbbell is not particularly effective as it often results in pulling the shoulder off the floor. I would try it without the weight, and try it for a longer stretch time. It is worth trying, even in later stages of healing etc..
In that particular exercise sir, You mean I’ll stretch my injured elbow by pressing it down with the help of my unaffected arm? I’ve already tried it yesterday but it is difficult to maintain a back straight position if I will use my unaffected arm to stretch the injured one. Apart from not being able to extend my arm, I can’t also bend it. Is that exercise also good for elbow flexion? At least how many months will I spend in the recovery process? I am an athlete, a volleyball player to be more specific and I have a game this coming December. Do you think I can fully recover at the end of the year if I’ll do the exercise properly with consistency?
Hi Dan :)
I have always been an active person with never any injuries.
For the last year and a half I have changed my lifestyle and sit at a desk studying to become a Naturopath.
About 6 months ago I noticed a sore right elbow and soon wasn’t able to straighten my arm, and I still am not able to straighten my arm and it is still sore.
I assumed that it is because I sit at my desk all day with my right arm bent?
I would rather put up with this condition than see a medical doctor because most of the time they just want to put you on medication or have surgery or tests that involve exposing my body to radiation.
I was hoping you may have some idea’s as this is your field of expertise.
Many thanks in advance
Jo
The elbow flexion may indeed be contributing. I would also check to see how much direct elbow contact you are placing on your desk while you are working. Some people will develop olecranon bursitis from direct contact. If there is a lot of contact, I would perhaps use a soft elbow support to cushion the elbow, at least for the short term.
Thank you Dan, that is actually correct, there was direct elbow contact with the desk for a long time and funny you should say that, the last couple of weeks I have had my elbow resting on a soft support!
Could you recommend any rehabilitation exercises that may help to straighten the arm again over time?
Do you think I will regain full extension in the future just doing said exercises?
I greatly appreciate your advice :)
Kindest regards,
Jo
If the elbow will not straighten, I would try the exercise outlined in the blog because it is very easy on the elbow. A slow stretch imparted on the elbow over a longer period of time in my opinion tends to work better than aggressive stretching.
Thank you Dan, I appreciate your time in answering my questions.
I will definitely try the exercise outlined in the blog.
Kind regards,
Jo
Hi, I’m 15 and 5 weeks ago I dislocated and fractured my elbow trampolineing in my Pe lesson. I had surgery and they took my cast of after the first week. I can’t straighten my elbow fully abd it feels like it’s as far as it can go-I can’t even push it down. How long do fractured take to fully heel and when can you return to sports. I do gcse Pe and require my arm a lot. I also have s cheerleading competition coming up in March – do you think my arm will have healed. I am worried I will never be able to straighten my arm
Are you in physical therapy? My guess is that once the x-rays show full healing you should be. I would look into doing a least a few visits of PT to get some stretching ideas. This is likely going to take many months to rectify. The arm will certainly have healed by March of 2017, but you want to make sure that you get back as much range of motion as possible.
In the mean time it is not a bad idea to do some active range of motion every day. I would try the stretching exercise on the floor that is outlined in the blog. Of course, it is always recommended to clear the exercise with the doc first.
hello sir
i got operated my broken elbow and it was stiffed after 6 weeks of rest.its been 11/2 months i am going through physiotherapy but i have little progress in extension and cant bend my arm yet…..its been over month my physiotherapist is trying to bend my arm but it cant. please guide me some exercises or some ways to unstiff muscles.
If you can get a brace that assists with the bending and extending that would probably be helpful. I would also try doing a light stretch and holding the light stretch for longer periods of time rather than doing a short, aggressive stretch.
15 years back, when i was 5 years old, i falled down from chair and had fractured in my elbow. two operation had done still cant sraight my hand…what next to straight my hand …bones already growth. suggest some ideas. thnks
Since it was that long ago, I would see a doctor and get an x-ray to see if the bone is blocking the range of motion.
Hi My son dislocated his elbow 3 weeks ago the plaster came off last week and now he can fully extend his arm or fold it all the way up.Is this normal with dislocations he is only 6 and there is still bruising and redness down his arm.
What would you recommend for this ?
Thanks
Chris
Elbows tend to be very stiff after immobilization. The key with children is trying to get them to actively move the elbow through ranges a lot during the day. Try to incorporate it into a game or something that keeps his interest. Eating food comes to mind: make him use just the effected arm to get food to his mouth, and keep the food far away from him so he has to reach in to elbow extension to get it. Most of the time a child that age will not need any aggressive stretching done by a PT or by you.
Hi! I was involved in an accident and I broke my left arm around the elbow, I went through operation. since then my elbow cannot straighten and I cannot fold my hand. what is the possible reason for this. the accident occurred 10yrs ago. is it possible for it to be corrected.
At this point you would probably need to get an x-ray to see how the bones look. My guess is that it would be very difficult to work on the range of motion ten years after the fact. I would visit an orthopedist.
Hi, I hit my right arm pretty hard after a quad bike accident. X-rays only showed massive amounts of soft tissue damage. The cast came off yesterday after 4 weeks but i still cannot straighten my elbow, it still feels exactly the same as when I damaged it. My hand goes numb if I stretch I for too long. And I got a dull ache when moving my arm up to shoulder height. I was wondering if some sort of advice is available? As no one has been able to tell me what it is and I’m losing alot of sleep since 4 weeks ago
I would recommend physical therapy. A bone bruise or soft tissue damage can take quite a while to heal. You may need some advice in terms of specific stretches or exercises to start doing. I would start on the very gentle side with supervision.
I had left distal bivep repair on my forearm, my on 7/21/16, I still can’t straighten my arm 100% and I can see the bicep tendon polking out when I straighten my arm. Is this normal?
It may just be poking out because the other structures around it are atrophied. If the doc is fine with it I wouldn’t worry. You may want to discuss with the doc or the PT getting a brace to help with the elbow extension. You would need a prescription from the doc for that.
Hi. I fractured the radial neck of my forearm/elbow, but I’m not young anymore. Just got my full cast off at 6 weeks and like the other folks, can’t straighten elbow and the forearm torsion is still sketchy/painful. Exercises? Protection? Heat/Cold? How long? Don’t want to re-break it…want to get back to lifting. I live too far away from the VA for consistent therapy.Thank you for any and all.
I tell my patients to use heat prior to stretching (at six weeks the fracture line should be healed). I would start with active ranges of motion.. extension, flexion, and supination are usually restricted with forearm fractures. Once you are comfortable with doing active ranges of motion for a week or so, I would delve into “assisting” the range gently with your other hand, gentle overpressure only.
It really would be a good idea to see a PT once to get some good “hands on” advice. One visit should suffice to get a good program started.
my elbow was broken 2 years ago.Now it will be straight or not doing with physiothereaphy
2 years is a long time. You would need to get an x-ray form a doctor to see if it is the bone that is preventing the range of motion.
After sleeping with my arm under a pillow and a baby I cannot straighten my elbow this morning. It hurts whenever I extend it, but as long as I keep it bent there is no pain. I can lift with it with no pain as long as my arm is kept well bent, up by my chest. Should I see a doctor about this, or is it just a strained muscle that should feel better in a few days? If I were to straighten my arm with my hand facing down the pain is at the mid to upper part of the crease.
Probably a strain or sprain. If it doesn’t get better I would run this by the doc.
I cant straighten my right elbow fully from the past 1 year , i play cricket(bowling) , there is no pain in my elbow, it hurts when throwing something
Probably from the repetitive action involved with cricket. I would see a doc about it and have it x-rayed to see what is going on in the joint.
i dislocated my elbow 3 months ago till now i cant straighten my arm while i am streaching it is going till 15 degrees and after some time its going up…and also i cant rotate my hand fully plz help me
I would work on the range of motion every day. See a PT as well if you can to get some guidance in terms of how to assist the motion with your other hand.
Doctor still I cant straighten my arm I am also doing which is shown in blog…it streaches slowly but after some time it is going up i don’t have pain it has been 3and half month from dislocated elbow ,and I am not taking much wait to hand.plz help me … To straighten my arm
I would see the doc and ask about perhaps getting a static progressive brace for the elbow. That should speed the process up. Otherwise I would continue to do the range of motion exercises every day to tolerance.
I lifted for the first time in a while yesterday and now my muscles are very sore and tight. I can’t bend either of my elbows all the way.
You over-did it. I would wait for the inflammation to go down a bit. It could take some time, be patient. You don’t want to mess with this as I have seen many times people who develop contractures in the elbows from excessive lifting without allowing rests.
Hi,
My partner (36 years old) was in a motor vehicle accident just over 5 weeks ago. She was the driver and was hit side on… she fractured her collarbone, 2 ribs, forearm, wrist, fibula and dislocated her ankle. Luckily no severe head injury although she was in a coma for 9 days but had no PTA when she woke. She had surgery on day 12 to fix her collarbone, arm, fibula and ankle, a second surgery on day 18 to realign the ankle a bit better. Her casts were removed a week later (seems early), and started basic therapy.
It is now 5 weeks after the accident and in therapy is trying to regain ROM in her leg and arm. She is finding her knee very very stiff and can only get to about 70 degrees.
Her arm also can only extend to 120 degrees (if fully straight is 180) due to elbow stiffness and pain.
She is very down about the lack of progress at this stage but I know it’s still early days and I think she has achieved a lot already. How long would you estimate it would take to regain pre accident ROM in her leg and arm and to be walking again ? She is a doctor too and is afraid she might not be able to operate again.
In general, I would say that whenever surgery is required to fixate a fracture, the potential for “total” recovery decreases a bit. It usually also depends on whether or not any of those fractures involved a joint line (they take longer and the prognosis also is not as good).
My guess is that she will begin some basic walking without crutches etc. in a few weeks? This is going to likely be a slow process. Six to twelve months will be needed until she starts “feeling like herself”.
Thank you for your reply, I appreciate it.
At this stage she can’t really bend her fingers or grip anything, she is concerned about nerve damage. Is it normal at this stage of rehab (5 weeks post surgery) ? Is it something that may come right with therapy over time ?
Thanks again.
I would say that having a stiff hand often comes with traumas like this, especially this early on. That is going to take some time to abate. My advice to her is to keep the fingers and hands moving with active ranges of motion every day. I would get her in to see a good hand therapist.
If there was neurological damage that would be pretty easy for the orthopedist to discern and it would be very specific in terms of what muscles in her hand would be weak.
I felt a tweak in my right elbow while doing tricep extensions. I finished my set but by the time I’d gotten home I was having a good bit of pain from the back of my elbow and couldn’t either fully straighten or bend it. It’s been a couple days and I’m still having the issue. Pain seems to be centered on the back of my elbow just before the joint. Not much swelling, just very painful and stiff.
Probably a strain of either the triceps or the anconeus muscle. Give it a week to heal up with little to no activity with that arm. If it is not getting any better I would have the doc check it out.
Is it normal after 12 days elbow fracture and had operatiom 2 pins and not be able to straightening my arm .
Yes. Very normal at this point. I would ask the doc when and how you can start performing active ranges of motion.
Hey doctor! I dislocated my elbow 3 weeks ago from playing basketball. I feel that my movement has gotten a lot better but I still cannot seem to straighten my arm or rotate my hand. My doctor has not referred me to a PT, and I am worried it will take a long time for me to recover. I want to get well fast. Any suggestions?
You really need to let it heal up first. The doc probably put your activity on the back-burner on purpose to allow tissue healing. Once he gives you the OK, you can start with basic active ranges of motion, but get his permission first.
I dislocated my elbow 19 years ago, went to the hospital and had it reset, I started PT but the pain was unbearable and I was getting no range of movement back, here I am 20 years later and I could extend my elbow about 10 degrees past the casted position,probably 60-70 from fully extended, I have never had issues with my elbow except a little tenderness if I try to overstretch well these past few days I have woken up in excruciating pain, this morning being the worse, I could not even reach out to put my shoes on it hurt so bad, is it to late for me to PT myself to get it extended and what is the pain about do you think there can now be an issue with my joint?
Given the time frame here, I would at the very least get an X-ray to see what is going on in the joint. It is probably too far removed at this point to crank on yourself. See what the doc says.
Hello doctor I dislocated my elbow in 2013 no fracture. I didn’t move it for weeks after the injury which was my fault, I did not know I was supposed to immediately begin stretching it out. I had physical therapy for months and nothing helped. I had surgery to move a nerve and that only helped with a small amount of pain. I work out everyday and I am able to extend fully but after 2 hours i am limited to only 160 degrees of range of motion. Is this permanent or should I go to another orthopedic doctor. Thank you!
That was a while ago and probably warrants a trip to the doc for an evaluation. You may still be able to get some more return but an X-ray is in order.
I’m sorry I forgot to mention I’m 20 years old so I would think my body would have healed by now. Do you recommend any orthopedic doctors? I’ve been to too many and all of them been too quick to brush it off and tell me I just need more physical therapy and I was going to therapy 4 times a week for almost a year. and also I was wearing a progressive elbow splint for hours during the day. I just don’t no what to do I just want my full range of motion back without the painful stiffness.
I would find someone who specializes in elbows obviously. They can however be a bit tricky to find. I would try larger cities that have reputable orthopedic departments. Hopkins in Baltimore, the Mayo Clinic, the Hospital for Special Surgery in NYC are names that come to mind.
I”ll definitely be contacting them soon since I am in Maryland, thank you!
I am 17 and I dislocated my arm 1 week ago and now I can not bend my arm. Help me please.
See the doctor about it. It probably needs to be in a sling for several weeks at least to allow healing. You can begin active ranges of motion in the arm once you are cleared by the doc to do so.
Hi Doc,
For the past three days I’ve been experiencing some stiffness in my elbow. I call it a locked elbow because it wont allow me straighten my arm out. It can extend up to about 120 degrees. However there isn’t any pain unless I try to force my arm straight. I’ve tried Iceyhot but is didnt really work. How can I fix this problem?
Hi Doc,
For the past three days I’ve been experiencing some stiffness in my elbow. I call it a locked elbow because it wont allow me straighten my arm out. It can extend up to about 120 degrees. However there isn’t any pain unless I try to force my arm straight. I’ve tried Iceyhot but is didnt really work. How can I fix this problem?
Sorry my email was wrong the first time
You are probably doing some repetitive activity that is over-using the elbow and causing it to want to contract in flexion. I would avoid the repetitive activity (some people get this from lifting heavy weights) and allow a few days for rest. You might want to see a doctor about this to get an x-ray to be sure that nothing else is going on.
Thank you Dr. I will definitely try to see a Dr.
I got a bike accident 1week ago and x -ray came clear but can’t straight or bend my arm.
The elbow is inflamed from the accident. It will likely take a few months for that to calm down. Allow it to rest, and with the doc’s permission maybe you could do some gentle ranges of motion in the mean time.
Hello doc. I was in a motorcycle accident and broke my elbow wrist ankle and a couple of other bones. I underwent surgery for all. But my main concern is my elbow and wrist/hand. My operation was on or around 12/27/16. I am using a elbow brace for exercising and a wrist brace of some sort. I know I may not be able to fully recover but my question is will there be a significant amount of recovery to where id be able to do excersises such as push ups and lifting dumbbells that sort of stuff?.. Im a small guy and i was really looking forward to putting on some mass. Now this.
Also I can’t fully grip anything at the moment or face my palm up. All this damage was on the same arm and leg/ankle on my left side.
I really have no idea as to your final prognosis because I can’t physically see your injuries. I can tell you that when the fractures necessitate a surgeon implanting plates and pins, the chance of getting full range back starts to go down. I can also tell you that if you are under the age of thirty that bodes well for a better recovery. I would get everything evaluated by a PT and ask him or her the same question. Good luck with this, it sounds like the worst part is over.
From birth my arms would never extend fully. I was once told that this may be something called Buford complex. Is this what it is or could it be something else?
I think that Buford complex is shoulder related? If it is your elbows that will not straighten, I don’t think that it would be related to that.
Hi Dr i lifted heavy wieghts and did pull ups to much after that i felt my elbow rightone is not being sttaight complatly compared to left one.its my 6th month with little bit curved elbow.kindly suggest me some special practices to overcomethis situation
I would see an orthopedist to have it x-rayed and assessed. I also think that the slow, easy stretch on your back like in the blog is a good place to start. I would stay away from heavy weights in the mean time.
I am facing elbow dislocation since from 20 year because of my parents illiterate.can it possible to reset it
I would say that you definitely need to see a doctor about this. If the elbow is still dislocated it would need to be x-rayed and worked on by the doctor.
Sir I meet doctor he examined and said if he makes operation the motion in elbow will be effected and said muscle above the elbow is retarded
I would see a physical therapist and see if there is anything that can be done.
13 days ago i had bad dislocated my elbow but no fracture, very painful and like complete dislocation. 9 days they take out my cast but i use a sling.physiotheraphist gives me simple home exercises for up to the 5th week and go visit them again. When i cold compress(ice in a plstic wrap with a cloth) at night then the morning i feel swell and lot of bruise came out from under my elbow , spread like a dark blood in the skin. I also did simple bend/ fold exercise. Now i cant straight bec. I feel contraction, going gaist my elbow flesh, is this still normal, can i able to straight it soon, or why i feel like a hard muscle tnat cant force when i stretch, and when folding i struggle with my elbow muscle which is nomb swell or bruised.
I would follow up with the physiotherapist to make sure that all is going well. A dislocation is going to be painful and stiff for many months. You will have to be patient and under the guidance of the PT work on the range of motion and strength.
My ortho said stop my work for 3 months, after 3 months can i go to work? Thank you
I would get cleared by the doctor right before you start work. 3 months sounds reasonable, but f course it depends on how you are doing and how intense your work is. I would also slowly build up your activity so that your first day back at work is not too much of a transition.
Thanks a lot doc, may i ask if i can do your blog exercise since 3 weeks from my dislocation date, pt gave me a simple early exercise and seems slow in progressing for stretch and bend. Is it okey to do the exercises in you tube for elbow and do more hours as long as tolerable. Sometime i know my hand feel tired and then theres pain around the elbow and bone but not swelling i think a stretch pain and sometime i feel unending mild to moderate pain of the elbow is this okey, since i want to have full rom back soonest. Thank you doc
I would run it by the doc and the PT, since they are the ones who are treating you.
Hi! So, a little over 24 hours ago, i crashed on my bike, falling off and landing on my left forearm/elbow. I had a friend pick me up after making a makeshift splint with my sweater, and because i don’t have the money to see a doctor, i haven’t gone. There’s no bruising on my elbow, and no pain in my arm unless i stretch it out, but there’s definite swelling on a small part of my elbow. Currently, I am unable to bend my arm part about 80° with my arm towards me, and about 160° trying to extend it. Is there any chance i can fix this problem? I’m left-handed, so it makes everything kind of hard when i need to do simple tasks around the house.
Oh! I also forgot to mention. It really hurts to pick my left arm up on its own, but I’m able to move all my fingers and my wrist. There’s no fractures, that i know of.
I would say that an x-ray and a visit to the doc would be the best idea. You can’t be sure of the condition of the bones without it. If there is a fracture in there, doing certain movements would not be a good idea. Sorry to hear about this, but if it were me I would see the doc.
Hi Dan, our daughter(10) has dislocated the elbow and created a small upper humerus fracture on the outside of the elbow. There was no surgery but was castes for almost 5 weeks. We are now 6 weeks out of the cast performing aggressive PT, athletic trainers, and continued gymnastic activity for what she can do. However, we had rapid improvement and now nothing. The arm remains in a negative 5 position for over a week and we are getting very worried it will not straighten further. Any advice to consider? Will it go further? Should we change to more agressive PT? Should we consider arm straightening devices? Etc… We are really worried we will not progress any further with straightening. Thank you for a response in advance.
Time will probably iron that out. These things do at times take a while to rectify. If you are getting absolutely nowhere over the next month or so, you could talk to the doc about getting a static progressive or a dynamic elbow extension brace. The doc would need to sign off on that with a prescription.
Good day sir ! I dislocated my right elbow wayback April 26, 2015. My orthopedist said that it is a neglected elbow dislocation. The problem is it took me 1 month before I consulted my physician that’s why they perform an open reduction. My right arm was immobilized for a month. After that, I can’t bend my arm nor straighten it. I attended physical therapy session but I wasn’t able to continue it. It is almost two years by now and I still can’t straighten or bend it. Can there still be a change to regain my elbow’s normal ROM? How?
You could try to get a “static progressive brace” with the doc’s approval. There is a company named “JAS” that makes them. You would probably have to try wearing it for a few months to see if you get improvement.
Does the exercise above means that you will not use your unaffected arm to support your injured arm?
Jender I am not seeing any link here to the exercise???
Ok!
So do you think i can still get my full rom back!
And about the splint as i told you i was on for a month (exactly 31 days) after removing it. the physiotherapist told that i should start physically therapy right away. Cause the splint was on for too long. And i might never regain back my full rom .
Is he right? Knowing that my x ray are ok. And it’s been exactly ( 50 days) since the dislocation incident. And exactly (21 days) since i removed my splint . Can i get my full rom back. And how long it May take. Cause its really depressing me. Im afraid of never getting my full rom.
I do exercise every day. 3 times a day. For about 4 days now But i really dont see any improvement.
Helpe me pls.
I dont’ think that one month is too long to wear the brace. It will take a considerable amount of time to get back that range however, that just comes with this type of injury. It is impossible for me to tell you if you will get back full range.
And the aggressive stretching in the physiotherapy wil it help or the opposite!
Cause I really hate physiotherapy because of the pain!
I would have the PT back off a bit. Stretching is good, but if it is too aggressive that could cause some more inflammation.
First. I want to thank you for your help! Im so grateful!
I went to a physical therapy yesterday. And it was very very painful as usual! Today my arms was so swollen i coudn’t do any stretching exercise. And tomorrow i have another physiotherapy session but i don’t think i can handle it with a swollen arm. So do you think i should go any way or is it better to give it more time to go down?
You are probably being stretched too aggressively. If you are swelling up considerably back off. See the doc and let him or her know what is going on.
Hello Dr.
My daughter, 11 years old complained the other day that her elbow felt like she couldn’t straighten it all the way. she said happened once before it clicked and she was able to straighten it but it hurt doing so. Yesterday morning she woke in pain saying it hurt and couldn’t straighten it all the ay again. I gave here tylenol she felt better and went to school where it went back into place. went to pediatric she said probably tend/ligament injury since looks fine now. Well this morning same thing no real pain but can’t straighten all the way she says feels like needs to be clicked past sticking point but she can’t do it. I will try to get an X-ray , but wondering if you have any other advice, or idea of what happened, I don’t recall any big injuries. Thank you
She might be going into some weird posturing while sleeping (like hyper-extending it, or perhaps “going fetal” and flexing her elbows forcefully). You could try getting one of those soft elbow immobilizers and have her use it while she sleeps. I believe that we have a link to sleeping elbow splints through our “products” tab on the website.
I have never broken a bone or anything. Neither of my elbows fully extend. There is no pain and my mom says when I was younger they would straighten fully, I’ve even seen photos with my elbows extended.
It might be from repetitive activity? Gymnastic, weight lifting, or other demanding sports can sometimes cause that.
Hi
I was in a car crash in August last year. I could still straighten my arm after it but it was painful and over 2 weeks after the crash it’s stuck. It was a head on crash and I was the driver. My arm is in pain. I’ve read up so much but can’t seem to get this fixed. Been for x rays and been told it looks ok could have chipped my bone but when I bend it as much as I can and compare to my normal elbow the bones don’t look the same. I’ve done all different stretches and bought straps etc but nothing seems to help. I’m at the end of my tether. Please help!
I would see a PT and have it assessed. It sound like you need some guidance in terms of stretching intensity, duration, etc.. These types of injuries by the way can take quite some time to get the motion back, you are going to need to be patient and consistent with this.
Hello Dr.
While playing football my left hand elbow got dislocated. Then fr 28 days doctor plastered it. Then after removing plaster i am not able to staright my hand. Its been 2 years now frm the tym of accident.
I am doing all exersises but still not able to open my hand.
Do prescribe me a dr. Or anything. I want my hand straight as it was earlier.
Its urgent
If it has been two years, I am not sure that stretching at home is going to necessarily help your problem. I would definitely see an orthopedic doctor about this. You might benefit from a “static progressive” brace to stretch the hand. I would ask the doctor about that.
Hi Dr.
First of all I’d like to thank you for your help!.
I wanted to ask you for your professional opinion.
I had a partial elbow dislocation! (It was dislocated and back to it normal place by it self ) .
After that i hade a splint for a month.
After removing the splint my elbow was so stiff i couldn’t even move it at all .
After now a month of physical therapy. My rom is 100 flexion and 30 extension!
The thing is physical therapy is so expensive i can’t afford it any more.
Im doing home exercise twice a day every day!
And i can see some slow improvements.
My question is. Can i get my full rom back by myself by doing home exercise twice a day?
And is there a delay to get back the rom back! Before it too late! Knowing that it’s been a month since i removed my splint?
And my final question is . Should i be aggressive in my home exercise or what?
And thank you
You very well may be able to get back your full range, but I am guessing that it is going to take many months to get there based on what you have told me. Elbows do tend to get inflamed if they are pushed too hard, so I would be moderate in terms of how hard you force things. I would also run the routine that you are doing by the PT to make sure that he or she agrees.
Thanks doc!
If i use a dynamic splint! Will it help. Speeding things up.
And is there a delay i should not cross to get back the range. Like if i cross it. the elbow will be too stiff to gain more rom of you see what i mean.
Thank you
A dynamic splint would probably be very helpful. If you do something that is causing an excessive amount of soreness and stiffness (such as crossing) I would back off that.
About the delay!
I mean is there a time limit you shouldn’t reach to get back your full rom back (like 3 month or so) znd if you reach it you risk not getting your rom back
Hi. I can’t straighten my injured elbow due to a surgical operation.It’s almost two years. Can I still regain my elbow’s normal ROM by encouraging late rehab exercises without consulting a Physical therapist?
Probably not? I could give you a better answer if I physically moved your elbow around to see how the joint feels. My guess is that it is probably quite stiff. You would probably need some sort of intervention in the form of PT, or perhaps a static-progressive brace for stretching. I would talk to a doc.
Hello doctor it has been past 6 months from elbow dislocation and my elbow is extending till 30 degrees only when I am lifting some weight it is extending even more but after some time coming back to original position… Elbow is making pop sound but not paining………Plzzz help he doctor to get my elbow straight……
I would work on the stretching exercise on the floor as shown in the blog. It needs to be done for longer periods of time in order to be effective. You could also seeing your doctor and getting a static-progressive brace.
Thank you doctor…..By I can’t buy brace in India……And also I can’t rotate my hand
In terms of the rotation of the hand, you should practice that motion as well. I would start with your elbow at your side and try to turn the palm upwards. I instruct my patients to give a gentle assist with the other hand, applying some gentle pressure to the thumb side of the hand.
Hi,
I met with an accident 2.5 years back. My elbow broke into many pieces and they joined it in multiple surgeries. But I could not fully straighten my hand nor bend it fully. There’s a 30-degree deformity in straightening it. I underwent physio for one year but it did not help. This is affecting my dally activities as I’m having to bend my shoulder to compensate for my bent elbow. I see that the bones in my elbow have grown big. Some people suggest that I can undergo another surgery and cut the extra bone growth to fix it. But some others also say that there’s a possibility of nerves getting cut if they do something like that. Do you think that a surgery will fix it? As its been 2years now, will the muscles have become tight that they will not allow the elbow to straighten fully even there’s no bone hindrance? I can send an X-Ray if you can share your email iD.
Thanks in advance for your assistance.
I am not a surgeon, but it sounds to me like this is something that you should consult a surgeon about. 2.5 years is a long time to try regain lost ranges of motion. Start with the surgeon consult and see what he or she has to say.
Hi,
Just noticed the past few days I can’t make my right elbow all the way straight. Now I don’t know how long I’ve had this problem, but I think I’ve noticed it occasionally before. A few days ago I remember straightening my arm all the way and getting a pop/crack sound that all our bodies occasionally do. When I attempt to straighten out my elbow it’s not tense and the muscle doesn’t hurt but it almost feels like something is in the way and there’s a slight discomfort as if I were pushing down on something.
I’ll be giving the stretches a try but since I noticed it I’ve been stretching it to the best of my ability. I wonder if it’s a big enough cause for consulting further, or it’s just one of those things that’ll come and go like it seems to.
Added note, I was doing some intermittent stretching while writing and had another small pop/crack and regained some further range but still not all the way. I’ve no known injury to my elbow and appreciate you help to illuminate this mystery.
It sounds like the joint is either slightly stiff or slightly inflammed. Sometimes this can happen if you bumped it and maybe had a tiny bit of bruising in the joint? If you are doing a lot of exercises with the arms I would lay off of them for a while. Sometimes repetitive activity will stir up some light inflammation, which could also cause what you are describing. If it doesn’t go away with rest, or if it gets worse it would be worth your time to talk to an orthopedist about it.
Thank you, Dan, I appreciate the insight.
Hi,
On March 18th I had a Medial Epicondylectomy on my right arm due to Cubital Tunnel Syndrome. The surgery went fine but my arm was immobile for too long of a period after the surgery (around 3 weeks) and once I started PT I had difficulties with elbow flexion. I now am seeing a PT twice a week and just started the JAS splint treatment 3 days ago and can get no further than 125 degrees of flexion at best when forced with a lot of pain. According to the JAS splint instructions I should only get to a pain level of 2 or 3 while using the splint to avoid muscle guarding and allow for a healthy stretch of scar tissue etc. They say if I feel pain than it will only be counterproductive due to possible swelling and irritation of the joint. I’m a bit confused because most of my home exercises include stretching out the joint to its furthest point and also my PT sessions are mostly stretching out the joint to the very farthest extent of flexion. This is very confusing to me because the splint documentation says that pain and extended stretches are counter productive yet the PT and my exercises all involve stretching to the point of pain. Can somebody please elighten me on this? I’m nearing 3 months post op and I know that time is critical at this point so I want to get this right before it’s too late. Thank you, any guidance would be greatly appreciated.
I tend to be more of a “less is more” type PT with my patients in regards to elbows. I think that the JAS brace philosophy is right on. I would maybe back off the aggressive stretching for a week or two and see what the brace does.
Hey dan i recently extended my arm playing footy at the time it was ok well enouph to play the last 3 quarters off afl but after the game i started to feel pritty sore .now this morning i cant move my arm fully to a 180 degrees should i see some one or is it just some swelling?
The only way to be sure that there is not a fracture is an x-ray. It is probably a good idea to see the doc.
Hi,my 7 year old daughter recently fully dislocated her right elbow (5weeks ago)by falling off a high bar in gymnastics head first onto her out stretched arm.she was in a cast for three weeks ,then after a week we took her back because of a funny dent on her inner arm.They then had an MRI scan of her elbow as they were worried it might be unstable but luckily this week we got told she doesn’t need an operation as it’s ok, obviously damage to tissue etc but yhats expected.They also wanted to put it back into a cast again after it being out for two weeks to give the tissue abit more rest.And also said that they’ve agreed she now does not need physiotherapy as she’s really young and it will go back to normal on its own.We didn’t want it put back in a cast as her range of motion is only just starting to become more easy and she has no pain or aches etc and we’re worried it will stiffen up even more.We still really think she needs physio.Do you think she should go back into a cast again or start moving her elbow gently and also is physio a priority in a case like this for her to go back into the gym.Thankyou.
The elbow will stiffen up more with continued casting, but this is a necessary evil to assure that the elbow has enough stability and heals properly. Seven years old bounce back really well from these things. As long as she is moving the arm around when the time is right, and with the doc’s permission everything should eventually work out fine. I agree with the doc, she may not need physio at all. When she is out of the cast for the last time re-visit the physio question with the doc.
Thankyou for getting back,this has settled our minds a lot.We have been worried that no physio will hamper her recovery but I’m guessing she has age on her side and feel confident now that she hopefully will gain all movement in time.Thankyou again.
Hello doctor. Long story short it’s been 9 days since my elbow dislocation. No fracture and was set back in the er. My doc put me in a rom brace 3 days after it was immobilized in the er, set to a max flexion of 45 degrees. I have no problem at all extending it to the max of 45 degrees. I’m having problems bending it fully. It bends but only to half the amount of my other elbow. There’s not much pain just weakness and resistance. Is it normal to not be able to bend it fully as of this point in my recovery?
This is normal. There is going to be a loss or range of motion from the inflammation that resulted from the injury. It will likely take months for the range to return. Once the doc clears you from the brace, ask him or her if PT is appropriate.
Hi doc
40 days ago i partially dislocated my left elbow ( it rotated to right and popped up to it place)
It was so painful. I had a caste for 4 week (in a extended position) i know i messed up but we didn’t have an idea of what to de in my village ( by the way im from Africa )
The thing is i can almost fully extended my arm.
But my arm is so stiff i can’t flexit more that few degree
As there is no such thing as physical therapy in my village
Will my hand stay like this for ever or it will flex with time.
By the way im doing some stretching exercise for 30 min every day.
If you are able to get some guided help from a local doctor or someone who is trained with medical skills, it would probably be of benefit to you. If you have no options available to you, I would work on gradually stretching the elbow with active ranges of motion, both bending and straightening. I would rely more on the muscles in your arm to do the motion rather than using your opposite hand to push the end-ranges. If this progresses, you could start placing a light amount of pressure with the other hand. As always, it is good to have a supervising doctor give the okay for all of this.
Will my hand risk to stay in this position permanently. If i fail to get back rom through stretching?
Yes, it is possible that the hand will stay stiff.
Hi, my name is Sandip and I had got olecranon fracture. I was in cast for two week after surgery(k-wire fixation) and then doctors have suggested me to keep dressing for two weeks. I have started physiotherapy in 5th week after surgery and I have completed 18 days of physiotherapy. My hand bend upto 95 degree n straight upto 30 degree. But I don’t wanna go to physiotherapist anymore so can I do exercise in home.? Can I regain full range of motion in home by self exercise.? If yes then, how long it will take to get full range of motion? Which are the most effective exercise for it?
You could probably work on this at home, but you would need to get specific ideas from the PT. I would see the PT one more time and get a comprehensive routine for home.
Hi.
I was in a car accident recently: ( Dec-18-2016) and when the air bag deployed it broke my forearm in half
breaking both bones: radial and ulna. I inmediately had surgery on Dec 21st to have metal plates and screws inserted. I had an arm brace and sling afterwards. I was just instructed by ortho doc to just keep wiggling my fingers, that was it. Now my elbow is frozen. I have been starting to go to O.T. and I can see improvement in my hand and wrist but not elbow. It hurts to stretch and also my bicep is contracted and hurts. What can I do on my own to improve my elbow? Thanks.
Ugh. I would start with moist heat on the elbow and then work on active ranges of motion and stretching. I would have the OT stretch it and start doing the floor stretch in the blog. You might also want to talk to the OT about getting a static-progressive brace. JAS is a good company that makes that type of brace.
Hi ,
there was a dislocation in my right hand elbow not fracture at age 6.I was taken to someone who was expertise in fixing the dislocation .However , being a child I was crying so much , he tried to correct the the dislocation by twisting my hand in all directions but was unsuccessful to fixed it.After that I felt the dislocation worsened and my hand was out of shape not straight.As time pass by due to the dislocation , there was a bone growth .I went through osteotomy at age 18 .However , my hand is still not straight it’s out of shape.Now I am 33 year old.I want my hand to be straight not correct shape as my left hand.So is it safe for me to go through osteotomy operation again ????
I think that your hand needs to be x-rayed in order to determine if another surgery would help with the hand range of motion. I would go to the best surgeon that you can find and ask him or her that question based on a current x-ray.
Hello,
I am 16 years old and have not had any injuries to my elbow, but I can’t seem to fully extend my arms. It has been like this as long as I can remember. When I try to push it straight I do not feel any stretching in the arm. It is like it can not go further at all. I do train alot, and this stands in the way for me to do a perfect handstand, because I can’t extend them. I have tried to stretch, but it does not help…. Is it something in my bonestructure maybe? Can you be born with not being to able to extend them?
I have no pain or anything, but this stops me from reaching many of my fitness goals.
Any help is deeply appreciated
Greetings from Norway
I would guess that this has to do with the contouring of the bones that make up your elbow joint. This just happens to some people as an anomaly, and it does not have negative effects aside from your lack of total extension at the elbow. An x-ray should be able to confirm that this is the case. I would not chase the lack of extension as it may actually irritate the elbow.
If an x-ray shows that there is no boney block to extension, you could perhaps work on straightening out the elbow under the supervision of a doctor or a physical therapist.
Hello
My son is 7 years old, 45 days back he fell down from Monkey Bars on his elbow and bones misplaced, within 10 hours he gone to surgery and doctor put 3 K wires with slab. ( image can be seen)
http://imgur.com/a/W4WVa
Doctor removed the Slab after 5 weeks
Xray can be seen
http://imgur.com/a/2qgmU
He is able to straight his hand, his position can be seen
http://imgur.com/a/DphKU
My query is, Can he recover from this bend, how long it will take, any suggested exercise
You expert view will be appreciated.
Correction
He is not able to straight his hand, his position can be seen
Children will usually recover well from these types of injuries with time. If you can, take your son to see a physical therapist for at least one visit. I would recommend that you get a list of exercises for him to do from someone who has the chance to move his arm and hand around and evaluate how the joints feel. The therapist can teach you as well how to assist in stretching movements.
In the mean time, I tell parents that it is a good idea to find activities that encourage movement of the arm and hand that your child can do that are “fun”. Encourage your child to use the hand and slightly challenge the stretching.
Thank you very much for your Advice, Much Appriciated,
I haven’t got my elbow checked yet but there is bruising around my elbow but it’s not swollen anymore does that mean it’s not a small fracture? did I just hit my elbow the wrong way that’s why it’s bruised around my elbow?
The only way to be sure would be with an x-ray.
My name is Kristin and I was in a softball accident i had about what you had, but the swelling is down now and the bruising is still bad and it wont bend without tons pain. the doctor told me that i didn’t have anything broken. in the picture of the the things you where, wouldn’t work for me i get even straiten it barely at all. I want to be out of this and not have to worry about how maybe one day I wont be able to straighten it at all.
here is an example of what is stays like all the time
Your help would be appreciated!
That is going to take time to heal, especially if it is still bruised. In the mean time I would just work on gently flexing and extending the elbow.
How often should I do the pillow exercise. Once a day?
If you can tolerate it, you can do that several times daily.
Hello, if you are still responding to questions I would really like to ask you one. I am a 20 year old male, and I have had my right elbow unable to fully straighten for as long as I can remember (possibly born this way, because I have never damaged my elbow). However it looks exactly like the picture above. But the main point I wanted to talk about is if it’s normal for this to affect my shoulder. Because you see my right shoulder seem to be very dislocated, and it does not line up with my left one at all. The shoulder blade also sticks out a lot, and it hurts a lot exactly in my shoulder blade every time I wake up in the morning. Do you think this has a connection to the elbow? Or do you have any advice for the shoulder? I do think it has a connection myself as when I’m standing up I can’t relax my arm without my shoulder being bent, simply because of gravity forcing it to because of the bent elbow, but I’m not an expert.
I can’t see the photos with this formatting Sondre. If the elbow is bent, it can place a bit of anterior / forward pressure on the shoulder long-term. It is possible that this contributes to the position of the shoulder blade. I would have it looked at by a physical therapist to confirm this. You might benefit from some shoulder blade stabilization exercises.
I broke my elbow 2 weeks ago (simple radial head fracture) and will try this. The PT exercises I have are very ‘pushy’ and want too much contraction/effort from my elbow. Something more passive like this is probably a better fit given where my elbow is at.
It’s a frustrating injury. Painful and very limiting.
I would keep the motions on the easy side to start, the bone will likely not be healed until 5-6 weeks. I wouldn’t push end ranges aggressively.
TY. My PT and Ortho are really pushing but I can only go so far. My muscles haven’t healed yet and I have previous surgery from a previous fall ~20 years ago. I literally can’t push myself. It’s not there.
I’m working on a second opinion as my guess is my wrist will need another surgery.
Hi there I broke my elbow (radius head) on the 6th of march this year I’ve been going to physio since then but I still can’t straighten my elbow and I’m still in a huge amount of pain. I didn’t need surgery and I was put into a sling for a short while I haven’t got a huge amount of mobility back in my arm and physiotherapy seems to be making it worse in my eyes. Do you think I might need surgery or am I just jumping the gun a bit?
Too early. I would keep the range of motion on the tolerable side. It sounds like this needs a little bit of a ramp back in terms of intensity.
While playing cricket I landed on my right hand and damaged my redial head of elbow joint. After replacement with prosthetic redial head I am not been able to straighten my elbow. Almost 10 to 15 degrees difference is there.
Please help. Guide
You need to see a physical therapist about that. It may be a bit tricky to stretch that given that the head is now prosthetic. I would not aggressively chase the range of motion until you have permission to do so.
Hello
I fell directly on my right elbow playing basketball. It swelled up immediately after with very limited motion. Can’t straighten my arm or bend it all the way in. The swelling has gone down immensely and i am gaining more motion with my arm each day. It has only been 3 days since i fell. The only thing that concerns me is that I can not put any pressure on my arm, i.e. I can not do a single push up and it seems like my MCL is very very swollen still. I still can not straighten or bend my arm inwards.
Any advice? I am a very active 31 yr old and it is killing me that i cant lift weights or play sports.
Thank you
Get an x-ray, it is possible that there is a fracture. At a minimum this is going to take a month or so to heal, so it would be a really bad idea to try anything weight bearing for a while.
Hello Doc
i had a dislocation on my Elbow and after having immobile on a sling For 3 weeks the sling was Removed i couldn’t straighten my hand and it was painful and i couldn’t even touch my shoulder , the Docter advised me to touch my shoulder i try to touch my shoulder but it wasn’t the same as the First day where i couldn’t move my hand well but all am afraid is My hand is isn’t straightening well so would need Help.
Thank you i would be looking Forward for your reply .
This is probably going to take many months to heal and loosen. I would try to do some gentle stretching of the elbow and hand every day. I like the idea of trying to touch your shoulder as a flexion exercise. I would also recommend the floor exercise for allowing the elbow to straighten. There are also some wrist stretching exercises that you could do, such as the “prayer stretch”. If you need more guidance, I would recommend seeing a physical therapist for one session to get a list of exercises.
I am not in a better position to see a physical therapist so i would appreciate tp receive some of the exercise from you and also when i sleep i put my hand on the bed stretching it so would it cause any problem to my hand
Thank you
I would say the active elbow flexion as if you were trying to touch your shoulder, the extension stretch on the floor, a gentle prayer stretch for the wrist, and practicing turning the palm up and downwards while your elbow is at your side should all be a good idea to start with.
Can there any problem while straightening my hand making it lay on bed while sleeping.
What can i do mostly without Visiting physiotherapist and how long will it take my hand to recover and gain its ability like specify months
Stretching the hand while lying on your bed is a good idea, but you want to make sure that it is not too painful. I cannot tell you how many months it will take exactly, at least two or three?
Hi sir i was met with a accident last year and my left elbow joint was badly factured.. i had gone trough a suregry and know all my plates has been removed but still i cannot straighten my hand fully .. it is still slightly vend.. i had done physiotheraphy for many months but still no improvements and it pains alot
. Please sir kindly suggest me as soon as possible..
I would ask the doc about a “static progressive” brace for stretching. I would continue with stretching every day, the longer the better as long as it is not increasing inflammation.
What if a basketball with a elbow pain for 4weeks
Hi..Sir feb 6th 2017 I meet a accident and my left olecranon factured….Dr operated with k wire …Dr say now my factured was Heald but I can’t move my elbow fully
My rang 40 to 95 degree
I joined pt
My physiotherapist band my elbow force fully it’s too much. Painfully
But next morning my rang was returned to previous..
I m frustrated help me sir 90 days go to my factured but I can’t move my elbow
I would work on the floor exercise described in the blog. Most elbows will respond to a less aggressive stretch applied over a longer period of time. This will probably take many months to improve. I would also work on actively bending the elbow many times during the day.
Thx sir…Forcefully bending is right or not sir…
It’s too much painfull
I would go easy, do not force it aggressively.
Hi, Doctor
I have met with an accident on 16th January 2017 and broke my elbow for which surgery has also been done. The plaster has been removed and I have started doing my physiotheraphy right after one week of removing the plaster that is 27th February. My problem is that,the stiffness of fingers have improved a lot but the bending and strengthening of elbow is not much improving for which I am really scared. I can see some improvements in bending but whereas I don’t see any improvement in strengthening . Therefore,Doctor, I need ur suggestions as to help me out in strengthening my elbow and please let me know how long it takes for the elbow to be back in the same position.
It can take many months for a return of motion and strength. I would consistently work on moving the elbow through active ranges, and try to use that arm for functional tasks such as carrying objects and moving objects. You could also use a light weight (start with perhaps 1-2 pounds) for pressing motions while lying on your back, and for biceps curls and triceps presses. You should be able to find videos of all of those exercises online.
i was playing football 🏈 and i also fell on my left arm and i can ben it far and it wont hurt but i cant straighten my arm without little pain. i cant feel the stretch in my arm when doing your procedure so should i keep doing the procedure or something else?
i can bend it 20 degrees
I would see an orthopedist about that to make sure that there is not a fracture.
Hello doctor!
I had a distal humerus fracture treated with surgery, putting the bone together by using plate with screws. After six weeks of immobilization I was told to start physical therapy. My ROM is 30-110 degrees. I started it but by the 6th session I was put under aggressive stretching which has made my days like hell by the very intense pain, as I’m now at the tenth session. Would it be more functional if I would quit this type of aggressive treatment, using instead a slower and softer one? I would be very very thankful if I could have any suggestion from you! Best wishes! Silvester
I tend to think that a slower stretch imparted over a longer period of time is better. Ask about getting a “static progressive” brace. JAS makes a good one. You should be able to tolerate that much better.
Hello Doctor,
I had a transverse arm fracture and currently at 8th month. I got an x ray done in the 5th week but the bone hasn’t started uniting by then..I ve read cases where the bones are united by 5-6 weeks.
Worried if the slow healing is normal?
can I start physio before the bones unites?
which week does a bone start uniting?
Regards,
Joyce
Normally by about 6 weeks the bone should show signs of healing with an x-ray. Healing can be slowed for many reasons (the location of the fracture, smoking, nutrition, age). I would ask the doc what other options you have to speed the healing. In terms of physio, it depends on the orientation of the break etc., that is a question that the doc can answer for you.
Sir,
3. Weeks ago, i got injured my elbow ulnar collateral ligament. After 2 weeks of plaster. I m trying to recover my elbow range of motion
Sir,
3 weeks ago. I got injured my elbow ulnar collateral ligament. After 2 weeks of plaster,
I m trying to recover my elbow range of motion. Now i extend my arm slowly to 180 degres with no pain or mild pain. now, how I extend my arm to 195. can i for force little bit more hard. And my elbow is little swollen.
Flexing my arm is too difficult and sharp pain now i flex my arm 70 to 80% with shrp pain.
Pls tell me sir what should i do
And give me some tips.
Thanks in advance.
It is a bit early to push the range aggressively. I would simply bend and extend the elbow several times during the day without placing over-pressure on it with the other arm. A mild amount of stretch should be fine for the time being. I would also of course ask the doc when you can start placing more stretch pressure on the elbow, my guess would be not until 6-8 weeks.
sir,can i continue stretching and ex with swollen elbow
.
I would keep it very gentle. Elbows in general tend to get more inflamed if they are pushed to hard.
Well I got in a four wheeler accident broke my collar bone and both my elbows won’t go straight been stretching them and I haven’t seen any progress
Ouch. The doc can prescribe a “JAS” brace, which will give a prolonged stretch to the elbow safely. I think that you can also use the same brace for both elbows, just switch it off from side to side. Ask the doc and your PT about it.
pankaj how are feeling now?
G’day Dan, I have read your information and comments with much interest. After a fall 2 months ago I have been unable to fully straighten my right elbow. The x-rays and ultrasound show no reason for this so I’m off to have an MRI in two weeks time. The elbow is now becoming stiff and there is an increase in when straightening.
My question is should I keep the arm immobile until the MRI or is it better to do the gentle stretching you have described? Also, to help with the pain is ice or heat better? Thanks and cheers.
The ice or heat thing is a bit subjective. I tend to say heat before exercises, ice afterwards. I would stick to only gentle active ranges of motion for the time being. I would not push end ranges aggressively until we know exactly what is going on.
Hey I am having a similar problem and am curious to see, did you figure out what was keeping you from getting full range of motion back in the extension of your elbow?
I have a lap band and can’t lay on my stomach for that long. Is there another position?
Did you mean on your back facing upwards? Lying on the back is the easiest way to get a passive elbow stretch into extension. If you cannot tolerate lying on your back, I suppose that you could sit on a chair and place your arm on a table in front of you. The table would have to be pretty high (at about shoulder level) to accommodate this.
I’m 15 years old and now my hand not straight. At my childhood my elbow is fractured. And i taked medical care and after 6-7 years its fine but as my age reaching my hand became uncomfertable i go to therapist they said me i side of my elbow bone the bone grows and one side it not fully grows what i do any exercise or something but hand is not paining but its is uncomfertable what i do sir.
You probably need to see an orthopedist. If the bone has not grown in the right way because of the fracture, you would need to have an x-ray to see exactyl what needs to be done. It may be possible to align it more correctly with a surgery.
My hand elbow was dislocated in 2011 and i had some local treatment without going to medical treatment but gradually i realize that my hand in on deform shape as well as cannot bend fully like before.So since from 2011 to now 2017 i have still same shape and circumstances but there is no pain it looks very odd so i decided to surgery….will it be okay to surgery??after 7 year….please tell me iam very worried about it…
It should look better after surgery. You will have to work quite a bit on improving the ranges of motion on a daily basis as well. You will also need to be very patient about this, it might take up to a year to get a good return of function and range of motion.
Thanks doc… After hearing from you makes me quite happy…
Hello doctor i am 23 years old, it has been past 10 months from elbow dislocation and my elbow is extending till 30 degrees only and it is paining little bit when I am lifting some weight it is extending even more but after some time coming back to original position… Elbow is making pop sound but not paining………Plzzz help he doctor to get my elbow straight….
It it possible to straighten my elbow??
I would start with the stretch in the blog article, you are probably going to have to do this for many weeks to start to see an improvement. A light stretch over longer periods of time is better. You should try to build up the amount of time that you can tolerate the stretch.
Hello,
I had Ulnur Nerve Transplant surgery 8 years ago and recently I am having problems with my elbow. I cannot straighten it all the way and it hurts when I do. I cannot bend it all the way to reach my shoulder and I always have been able to. When I do straighten it feels like it needs attached out but hurts at the same time. Could this be arthritis from the surgery? Thank you for your time.
That is tough to say if it is arthritis. An x-ray would tell us the answer. I would see the doc about this, it could be soft tissue irritation, you could have bumped it, or you could have over-used the elbow with a repetitive motion?
Hello Doctor,
So I broke my elbow about 3 years ago and then I dislocated it last year. Anyway whenever I lift weights I can’t straighten my arm when their is a lot of weight. What can I do
Lighten the load with the weights. You might need to build the tolerance up for a while. I would also have a doc or a PT check it out to make sure that the integrity of the joint is stable.
Hello, I had surgery on a broken elbow after a fall. Surgery went well and I got most of mobility back. I do not have full extension of arm. I wish it was more but I understand it wont be 100%. My question is I still have some pain from compensating in shoulder and my elbow tends to lock up and make a clicking sound. This happened before about 5 months after surgery and doctor said it was due to swelling and did a cortisone shot. It seem to relieve it then. It this something to expect to happen over time? What can I do to help with the tightening and locking up? Just wondering if its worth the trip back to doctor or will they tell
me that is how it will be.
It may continue to occur, but my guess is that as the strength improves you should feel a gradual decrease in some of that annoying clicking and restrictions. Realize that this may take a year or more. I would do a light resistive routine a few times weekly for the biceps, triceps, supinator, and pronators with the blessing of both your doc and your PT.
Hello doctor,
I have been out of a UCL primary repair surgery for 13 weeks now and am struggling to get my range of motion back in the extension of my elbow. I have been doing a low load extension hang for 10 minutes at a time for about 6 times a day on top of using a JAS extension brace while at home for long periods of time on and off. Each time my elbow gets straight to about 5 degrees when doing the hang or using the brace, but then creeps right back up to 25 degrees about 30 minutes after therapy. I’ve had an x-ray and was told there was a small amount of ossification but nothing that needed to be removed. Do you know what could possibly be preventing me from getting my range of motion back and what could be causing it to creep back up to 25 degrees? Would an MRI tell anything? Please let me know when you get a chance, thanks.
My guess would be low levels of inflammation in the elbow joint capsule. I would stick with the JAS brace, and keep the level of stretch with it very low. Most research suggests that this takes an appreciable amount of time, and the stretch should be done at least two hours daily.
My arm is really painfull when I tried to straighten it when I put it out in front of me it doesn’t look straight ,my elbow as such isn’t pain full .but doesn’t straighten out .the area about 3inches from my elbow bone hurts it feel like another bone is sticking out thank you
When I was born the nerves in my neck got torn and I broke my collar bone and right arm since I was stuck behind the pelvis. I have less felling in my left arm, the one that had the nerve damage and less range of motion. I have never been able to full straighten my arm like my right one. Do you think that this has the possibility to fix it? Thank you!!
That is a very tough question to answer. I would think that at a minimum you would need to have an EMG done on that arm to see what muscles are not getting the normal neural input. Your arm is probably not straightening out because certain muscles aren’t participating normally, which causes an imbalance. You may be able to straighten out the arm with static-progressive bracing, but you would also have to do some training on whatever muscles are weak to maximize their participation.
4 months ago, i had a surgery for a dislocation and a fracture in the Radial Head.
i have been going to physo Therapist for the last 3 months. How long does it normally take for full mobility of my hand? at present i cannot straighten my hand ( maybe 30 % to go ) and cannot rotate it either ,
what options do i have in order to get the full mobility??
My visit to Dr last week indicated that under anesthesia, they will fix it! should i be worried? or should i attend to it immediatley. if i wait longer would it be more difficult to fix it?
I would ask about getting a “static progressive” brace for the elbow and wrist. This type of brace places a slow, light stretch that is sustainable over longer periods of time. (JAS is the company that I use with patients.)
I am not absolutely averse to surgical manipulations, but they do tend to increase the inflammation, which short term makes it harder to move the elbow and wrist. You can always get a second opinion in regards to how to handle this. The doc should at least consider the bracing.
Thank you for the information. But does it take normally take this long?? with the Brace would i get the rotation back ?
One of the JAS braces does work on rotation (supination), and yes it can take quite some time for that range to return.
Hello Again!
I just imported the JAS rotater/Suspination. Please advice how often I should Use it.
Daily ??
Did it not come with instructions? Usually a JAS representative will take you through the process and give you specifics!!!! I would contact the company and ask them the same question you asked me. I don’t want to give you bad advice because I haven’t evaluated your arm. Typically, the protocol is to wear it with a very light stretch, and work on increasing the time from week to week. If memory serves me correctly you want to build up to 2 hours or more daily, but please check with the JAS people.
Hello doctor
I had broken my humerus shaft and medial epicondyle on 1st April 2017 after that I went through 2 surgeries and a.plate was fixed with 6 screws I started pt about a month ago for my elbow stiffness but I see no much improvement and my elbow is in great pain and is always inflammed my physio said that after 3-4 months it almost become impossible to get complete recovery of elbow stiffness so he every day does heavy passive stretching exercises.(my age is 32)
So please guide me is it ok to go through aggressive elbow exercises. Or I can recover by doing slow and light stretching exercises as shown by you.
And how long can I expect to recover from this and also is it true that after few months stiffness becomes permanent.
Thanks
I think that the window for improvement is more than 3-4 months. You may want to consider asking the doc about one of those “static progressive” braces for you to use at home. It sounds like you would be able to tolerate that much better than the aggressive stretching.
There is a fine line between getting a good stretch and inflaming the elbow joint. If you cannot tolerate the aggressive stretching, I would ask the PT to back off a bit and work on more moderate techniques.
Sir, I had my elbow fractured. I am not good in understanding but in my case history, Doc has mentioned of supracondylar fracture intercondylar extension left elbow. I had my surgery 2 months and a week back. I had pop for 8 weeks almost and since then my hand is in my sling. Place where I stay is a very small village so we don’t have PT around to visit. Doc advised me to move my elbow slowly but I can still barely move and I am very scared. I have 2 plates with 9 screws in and a one long pin. I wish I can show my x ray. Please advice as it’s hard to even place my arm/ full hand on a table as shoulder is painful now. Please advice.
You need to start moving the arm. I would start with actively moving the hand and elbow through your available ranges of motion. I would also force yourself to start using the arm to do simple things such as holding a cup and moving light objects.
Thank you. Now I am having more trouble. I was so happy that I could move a little more compare to the previous day but this morning I got up with such a pain as there are 2 screw which made my cry. 1 right below the elbow, there is a screw and another just beside which is not allowing me to keep up my arm on anything to even do an exercise. I am waiting for the doctor to arrive around our place as I have mentioned earlier that I stay in a small village and for hospital, I have to travel almost 85 or more Kms. I am wondering if I should consult another doc? I am so scared as I have a small child to look after.
If you have a doctor available I would certainly get a consultation.
I m tushar I had a dislocation and minor fracture in my elbow so I had an operation the doctor’s fitted 2 rods which can easily be seen by the naked eyes after a month the rods were removed but I can’t straighten my elbow now. It has been 3 months after my operation please help me doctor
If you have access to a physical therapist I would perhaps have one visit to get a list of exercises to start doing on a regular basis. In terms of straightening the elbow, I would start with active ranges of motion and the exercise mentioned in the blog article.
Doctor please tell me some of the exercises to straighten my elbow because it’s going to be 6 months after the operation and is there any other way
Is there any type of food like something which can help me to straighten it
I would do the exercise mentioned in the blog article. It does need to be done over increased periods of time daily with a gentle stretch to have a good effect.
Hi doctor, I had elbow dislocation on April 16, it was reduced at the same day, but due to any problem reducing was not successful. It was again reduced closely and operated (operated to insert 2 pins for stability) on 13th May. The cast was removed on 25th May. Since then I am going to physio therapist twice a weak. Also taking regular exercise 2-3 times a day, for improving flexion, extension and sipaination/pronation. The bend in my elbow is about 20 degree. Where as the flexion is about 120 degree. Is it normal after about 7 plus weeks. Furthere I can not rotate my palm face down. It is only going to almost 80 degeress as I try to roate. Physio says it will improve as we started extensive exercises. But I am not sure. I am too much worried about flexion and pronation. What do you suggest in this regard.
Compliance is everything. Make sure that you work on this every day if possible. I have found that performing a lighter stretch over a longer period of time tends to help. I would also see if there is any bracing the PT can make to help with a low-grade stretch. There are also commercially available “static progressive braces” that can assist with the ranges of motion. The doctor would need to write you a prescription for this.
One more thought, you are still quite early in this process. This is going to take months to get a good outcome.
Hi Doctor,
My daughter broke her ulna ( right at the elbow) back in december they had to put a pin then a cast for 6 weeks. She has never complained about any pain since the cast has been off but her arm look a lot more bend then the other one. When her palm is up she can straighten her arm fully but when her palm is down she can not straighten her elbow fully, is this normal im so worry she may need an open surgery with screws… what do you think ?
Hi,,,,Doctor I was doing pull ups 2 years ago, now my I can’t straighten my arms,my forearms look bigger then my bicep’s, I haven’t done any pull ups or anything like that since, my elbows feel hot….
I would see an orthopedist about this. I have seen a few people in the past who have done this and it took modification of the gym routine along with tissue stretching and massage to get under control.
Hi doctor! When i was 15 or 16 i used to work out a lot. And when i was lifting weights mind you i was only 130 pounds i over exerated my weight that i should be doing on curls and i think i sprained a muscle. My arms dont seem to want to straighten and its kind of ackward when i walk because my elbows have a little bend to them. Any advice?
I would think that you would need to have it looked at by an orthopedist. There is some bracing that you could try that might straighten them out (they are called JAS braces).
Hello Doctor,
I had surgery to repair a distal biceps tendon avulsion in November of 2015. The doctor had me wait about 8 weeks prior to starting any PT, even PROM. Since the surgery I have not been able to straighten my elbow. It has not been a big deal as I was able to regain functional ROM; however, I lift weights frequently and I notice the difference in ROM has caused other issues (anteriorly tipped scapula on the affected side and a slight muscle imbalance vs the unaffected side despite frequent unilateral training). Any idea what may be causing the limited ROM? I’m inclined to think it may be a bone spur or tight joint capsule but I am not sure which. Or it may be something else entirely. I know it’s impossible to say without actually seeing it in person, but is there anything (other than diagnostic imaging) that may help to rule out potential causes? And anything I could try to help regain the missing ROM? Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance,
Mike
Hmmmm. The biceps could be restricting the elbow extension if it is short and / or stiff. The attachment site of the distal biceps is also very close to the elbow joint, so it is possible that there could be some scar tissue in the joint area. The way that the joint feels to a therapist (stiff versus bouncy versus the “brick wall” feeling) is a good way of deciphering what is going on. I would book an appointment with a PT and ask them what the elbow joint feels like.
Doctor, I dislocated my left elbow this past Sunday after a bad fall at home. The ER doctor thought I had fractured the bone, but the orthopedic surgeon on call said I did not and they did a closed reduction. The surgeon put me in a brace and the primary pain I’ve ben experiencing is my elbow locking up periodically, which hurts terribly. Is this normal? How long does this last? Just trying to gain perspective and not worry. Thanks!
Dislocated elbows hurt, a lot. My guess is that you are going to have pain and swelling for many months. I would watch out for numbness in the hand or loss of the ability to move the fingers and wrist. Keep the doctor in the loop in terms of how it is feeling.
I recently had extensive Achilles reconstruction surgery and have been in a wheelchair fo 6 weeks. 7 more to go. I am not a small person, and after wheeling around, my elbow doesn’t want to straighten or bend easily ( like to comb hair). I can’t stop using the arm, but is there a way to prevent further damage or a way to help it when I am resting? My non-injured-side knee is starting to swell from all of the compensatory movement, too. Help, I am falling apart.
Your best bet is to get a mechanized wheelchair. The arm muscles do take a beating with wheelchair propulsion, and there really isn’t a way to get around that effectively.
I am a 58 year old male. I have not been able to fully straighten my right arm for many years. I have lost alot of strength and the muscle volume has decreased significantly. When I was younger I was athletic throwing baseballs, especially curve balls, footballs, gold and tennis. Is the mild pain and lack of strength especially when twisting my arm a result of tendinitis or tennis elbow?
Some of the new research that has just come out in regards to tennis elbow suggests that it is degenerative in nature. It would not surprise me if the extensor muscle attachments to the elbow are degenerated and / or partially torn given your active history of throwing etc.. That would certainly lead to a decrease in strength. The only way to be sure what it is would be to have diagnostic test done (ultrasound or MRI).
I am almost an 18 year old male. I had UCL reconstruction surgery a year and a half ago. I am playing baseball and have no arm pain, however I can not fully extend my elbow and I believe if I could I would throw harder. I just discovered this page but I have been doing similar stretches before I play, along with electronic stimulation. Should I stretch it daily (even when I don’t play) or will this just slow go away over time? Thank you
Hmmm. Have you asked your PT that? I would have to move your elbow around to get an idea for what the joint feels like. Most of the time if you take a prolonged break from the repetitive activity the joint will straighten itself out. I probably wouldn’t hurt to do the floor stretches mentioned in the blog, but like I said, your PT should be able to tell if that will help based on the feel of the joint.
I am no longer going to therapy. I have been cleared for months. Should I see a doctor?
I would see one.
I recently fractured my elbow and wore a splint for 2 weeks, the splint is off and I have been exercising my arm, wrist and elbow, I have mild discomfort while doing this but everything seems to be getting better except when I put my arms by my side my arm doesn’t straighten out it seems to still be slightly bent. What exercises can I do to help correct this?
Moist heat usually helps loosen things up to start. The floor exercise is a good idea (as shown in the blog). I would also work on active range of motion (unweighted triceps pressing type motions, lying on your back for example). As always, get the doc’s permission.
Hi, May 19th fractured my left humerus to pieces. Had surgery one week after the break, he sawed, plated, and screwed my bones back into place. He had me rest for a week after surgery due to the extent of the injury. Started PT on week 3 of the break. Ive had over 20 sessions of PT agreesive ROM, splinting about 3 times a day. Still can not move my elbow, now my shoulder is freezing up from compensating my elbow. PT is painful wear I’m to tears with Percocet prescribed. My ortho instructed me if I’m not moving my elbow by week 12 he will go in and release the capsule. I do not want another surgery. Im loosing hope and not sure what to do? My appointment is Monday. Any suggestions would be great. BTW, I’m a 38 year old female.
Sincerely,
In Elbow hell
Ugh. I would maybe back off the aggressive stretching and work on just gentle active ranges of motion for a few weeks. I am concerned that the aggressive PT might be increasing the inflammation.
A few years ago during a judo match someone applied a technique called Ude Garami or Kimura on me, which targets the elbow. I never treated it and sometime over a month later I was able to put pressure on the joint again and I could go about my daily activities without too much pain but the arm doesn’t lock out anymore. It’s painful if I try to force it to and it still doesn’t straighten all the way of I do. I don’t know if this is related but recently any pulling motion seems to be affecting the area that my arm bends as well, feels sore. I was climbing a tree yesterday.
I would get an x-ray. It might be a bit of scar tissue, but first things first. X-ray.
Hello my name Fredrick I was in a motorcycle accident in June and my right arm is broken I had surgery done 9 screws and a plate put in after th e cast came of I started therapy there trying to strengthen my arm straight but it won’t straighten out at th e elbow it’s hurts really bad so im asking what can I do to get my arm straighten out.
I would ask the doc about possibly getting a “JAS” brace. The doc might want you to do therapy a bit longer first, it depends on the level on inflammation etc..
Hello,
I broke my wrist and also dislocated my elbow at the same time on July 20th 2017,the hospital popped my elbow back into place when I seen my surgeon he said that I needed wrist surgery and that he would check the mobility of the elbow while I’m under.My surgery was on Aug 4th 2017, I received 9 screws and a plate in my wrist.,The doctor said that my elbow was broken but when they checked the mobility of it,it didn’t pop back out of place.i have been going to therapy 3 times and have been going for a little over a month now,My elbow will not straighten it is stuck in an L shape and my therapist says it feels like my elbow is locked in cement,went to doctor and he said it’s only been 3 months, so he isn’t doing anything about it,I also have 3 jas splints that I do 3 hrs a day at home and still not any progress.Im just wondering if it is to early to try and do something else with my elbow? Is it normal for the elbow to be stuck like this for 3 months with not the slightest improvement .should I be getting a second opinion or is my doctor right on saying that it is to soon to do anything with my elbow?this is so stressful and just want my arm to extend a little bit..Thank you so much
It does sound like you are doing all of the right stuff here Tiffany. The JAS brace is a good idea. I would make sure that you are not overdoing it as well. The elbow can easily get more inflamed if you are “cranking” on it too much. The JAS stretch should feel light, and I am not a proponent of cranking forcible on elbows to get them moving, especially earlier on in the healing process. Maybe lay off the PT for a week or two and focus on the light stretch of the brace, see if that changes anything. As always, run this by your doctor!
Exactly a month ago, during gymnastics I done a backhand spring and I hyperextended my elbow causing a distal humerus avulsion fracture, and a ligament snapped taking a piece of bone from my elbow. They had me in a partial cast for 2 weeks but sent me straight to physical therapy as soon as it came off. My physical therapist works with me vigorously 3-4 times a week but I still have really bad range of motion and can hardly extend it. What’s your opinion on this? What will happen with range of motion?
It is still quite early. I would hone in on a gentle stretch into extension imparted over increasingly longer periods of time. This is just my opinion, but the vigorous stuff can sometimes have the effect of increasing inflammation.
I was walking in my living room and slipped on hardwood laminate floors. I landed on my left elbow. It became really sore, and swollen. My husband said if it was broken it would be hurting much worse. So didn’t go to doc. Put ice on it and took ibuprofen. Range of motion was very limited to start with. Now I can move it more. It’s been a month now. Only hurts when I try to fully extend it. I cannot fully extend it since injury. It’s also still sore when I try to bend my arm to where my hand touches my shoulder. Should I be gently trying to straighten my arm?
You could work on gentle active ranges of motion, but it may be a good idea to get an x-ray to cover your bases.
1 month ago i fallen on floor and got injury in my elbow.and my x ray is clear but i cant fold my hand properly and also cant straight my hand if i do so its aching.i have visited doctor and doctor said nothing is wrong..what can i do sir plzz suggest me..
I would start working on trying to straighten and flex the wrist and hand. I bit of aching is probably okay, but I wouldn’t go into too much pain. Many people say that using moist heat prior to active ranges of motion is helpful.
I’m 26 and I dislocated my right elbow severely on June 25th, basically the elbow bended towards the opoosite direction. I was immediately treated at a hospital, after an X-ray scan no fractures therefore they popped it back in right away. I was placed in a splint for 5 weeks(first two weeks set at 90degrees, 3rd week limited motion about +- 10 degrees) Its been 9 weeks now, I’ve attended therapy for 2 weeks. My arm is still missing 10degrees to becom fully straigten, however I’m only able to bend up to 110degrees. Im concerned if I can regain full ROM especially on the bending part. What can i do to help?
Thanks a lot for your time
JAS brace (Joint Active Systems). Talk to the doc and the PT about it.
I woke up one morning and i had a very sensitive burning on my skin on the outer side elbow. I thought maybe my fibromyalgia was flaring up on my arm. 3 months gone by and again one morning i woke up with lots of pain in my elbow. I thought maybe i slept on it wrong because i couldn’t straighten my arm out. I still have the burning and lots of pain in my elbow that extends to my shoulders and down to my fingers. Now 6 months and i cant extend my arm fully. What could it be and what can i do to be able to stretch my arm out again?
That certainly sounds strange. I would have the doc check it out. Typically pain shooting up and down the arm like that is neurological in nature. I am wondering if there is something going on with one of the nerves coming out of your cervical spine.
The lack of elbow straightening usually doesn’t come from something neurological. All the more reason to get this checked out.
Hi Dan,
This something I’ve been looking for, for a long while!
I was a professional javelin thrower back 9 years ago now.
Unfortunately my career was ended by an injury to my elbow.
I effectively tore my medial ligament beyond sewing it back together. I had to have a graft of one of the ligaments just below the tricep. The operation was called ‘Elbow stabilisation and reconstruction’.
I’ve never been able to straighten my elbow ever since. I’ve lost approximately 12 degrees.
This is extremely frustrating as I now play cricket in my spare time for fun. Quite a high level and also a fast bowler. Loosing those 12 degrees has effected my bowling action and also my speed ‘long leavers etc’.
Now, In your opinion… Is there any point me even trying to look down this road to recovery, or am I just going to have to forget it?
Over the last year, I have encountered issues also. I have nerve pain, like an ‘impingement’. Feels like soft tissue is getting in where in shouldn’t. They had to move my ulnar nerve to the outside of my elbow, as there would have been too much pressure on it otherwise.
I know without looking at it, feeling it etc its very difficult.
Any chances at all?
This is a little bit complicated. In terms of the lack of extension, I guess the prognosis depends on how the end-range of extension feels. If it feels “springy”, you may be more likely to get more of a return of range of motion. If it feels like we are going in to a brick wall at the end range, that is more difficult to stretch through and may be permanent. A good physical therapist should be able to assess the joint feel for you.
There is another thing to keep in mind here. Mobility comes at the expense of stability. This basically means that the surgeon made sure that the new ligament was firmly in place and would keep the medial aspect of the elbow in place. Many surgeons will slightly “over-compensate” and err on the side of making it more stable. This may account for your slight lack of extension.
I was practicing on the football Feild today and I wrapped my right arm around a guy and it got stuck as we were both running full speed opposite ways so my arm bent really awkwardly and now I have pain inside my elbow it kinda feels like the pain is coming from the inner side of my elbow and in the back beside my bone, it hurts the most when I try to bend my forearm towards my shoulder or try to extend my arm, what do u figure this is?
It is at least a sprain of the elbow ligaments, probably not a fracture but I would definitely have the doc check this out.
Hi
As long as I can remember both of my arms do not fully extend. I don’t remember any trauma to them and I thought that this is just the way my arms are.
Recently a teacher in a dance class told me that over time I can bring my arms to a fuller extension with gentle stretching and yoga.
I am 41 now and I have had this issue since I was a teenager at least.
Is it possible to change this after so much time?
Thank you
This is probably due to the natural contouring of your shoulder joints? I would think that the first step would be to get x-rqys taken to confirm this. It probably would not be worth your time trying to stretch the arms straight unless we know that it was just a soft tissue restriction rather than a boney block.
Thank you very much
Sir i got my elbow dislocated ,and operated,i have got distal humerus lcp in my elbow .Now i cant fully straight my hand.
Once you are cleared by the doctor, I would work on active range of motion of the hand as much as you can reasonably tolerate. Your x-rays need to be clear prior to more aggressive therapy.
My radius is broken there is a small comminuted fracture my bones are connected 60% after 3weeks I m not able to straighten my hand. I m worried if my hand will get straighten after the fracture will be completely heal .
Depending on where the fracture is in the radius, you may have to wait until the fracture is healed in order to start moving the wrist. I would ask the doc when you can start moving things.
Thank u for replying. Fracture is in between..
Then I would say that (with the doc’s permission) you can certainly try to work on actively bending and extending the wrist.
Last year I stared powerlifting again, I have lifted weights for 20 years some years heavy weight and some not. But I noticed last year that my right elbow started getting stiff and after some time I could not fully extended, its been like that since then. I have taken muscles relaxers and I don’t lift heavy any more but it wont get better. Any suggestions?
Frank
Have it checked out by a PT or an orthopedist. My guess is that you have some degenerative changes in the elbow joint, and also possibly either the wrist flexors or extensors. It would need to be x-rayed to differentiate between the two.
Hi
There was a fracture in my radius now it’s bn healed when plaster comes off I cnt able to straighten my hand it’s in L shaped. I m concerned that it will ever get straighten..
Once the doctor gives you permission you can start by using the hand as much as you can tolerate. You may also want to go to a session of physical therapy to get a list of stretches to start doing. The stretches would depend on how the hand and wrist are restricted.
About a month ago, I broke my radius and chipped my radial head, which then peeled my elbow ligament off of my humerus. I had a radial head replacement two weeks ago and the surgeon was able to remove the bone chip, replace the radial head with a metal replacement and screw my ligament back on to my humerus. I’m about to start physical therapy and am wondering what I can do at home to help ease the process and restore my range of motion. I stopped wearing a split a week and a half ago and still cannot fully extend or fully bend my arm. It has been slowly improving and my doctor says it’s fixable with physical therapy. Is there anything else I can do on my own to help speed my recovery? Thank you!
Gentle active ranges of motion are a good place to start (bending and extending the elbow, turning the palm up and down using your own strength and NOT helping it with the other hand (yet). Use the arm functionally as the doctor allows it.
Hey Dan! I was playing Basketball 3 weeks ago and when I was running to recieve a pass an opposing player ran in with his elbow hitting my bicep. At impact it hurted however there was no mark. The next few days there was a bruise from my bicep to my elbow. The bruise is still there (though most of it is going away now) however I cannot fully straighten my left arm. I dont know should I wait or should I seek medical attention. I am doing exercices to help bring my full extension back.
I would probably see the doctor about this, there is an outside chance that the biceps partially torn.
Have had tennis elbow for 18 months. Did 3 months of physical therapy and have had 4 cortisone injections. I have not had any x-ray, MRI, or other tests. Originally, I could not grip, twist, etc without pain in forearm and elbow. Now, the elbow itself is most painful. Not as bad to grip, twist. Lifting my cellphone off of a table really hurts. Also, I cannot extend my arm without the feeling that something is going to snap. Can you think of any options for me?
Immobilize the wrist for 2 weeks with a sturdy wrist brace. I would wear it 24/7. It sounds as if it needs to be entirely unloaded for a while.
Hi I’m 15 years old
and my issue is that I can’t fully extend my elbow.
I went and got an xray but it was clear, I think it may have been caused from overuse because I weightlift. They couldn’t diagnose it properly so I’m kind of stumped on what to do from here
But Im pretty sure it was caused by me popping my elbow joint, I recently discovered I could do that by extending my arm fully so I was doing that for nearly a week I think and when I woke up. VIOLA.
I get slight pain when I bend back, but it’s physically impossible for me to extend it. I’ve been putting heating pads and popping ibuprofen but nothing is happening. Help?
Stop biceps curls, pull ups, lat pulldowns, and anything else that you feel is inflaming the elbow for a good month. I have seen this happen to weight lifters who overload the biceps in particular. It probably would be a good idea to see a PT to get a feel of how the joint is moving.
Hello, my name is daniel and 2 days ago i had a fight with a friend, and ended up hitting my elbow.
The next day my arm started to cramp up and stay there for a wile till i forced it down.
This was not a good idea though, because next thing i know my arm just keeps getting stuck. And when ever i force it down it just makes a loud click and hurts allot.
Now i just keep it at a squished angle because i cant straiten it anymore
Can i have some advice?
I think that this requires a trip to the doctor. One of your forearm bones might be slightly out of place. Maybe your friend can take you.
Sir
I fractured my elbow 5 years before but I didn’t did exercise can I get my hand straighten now
Plezzz help
5 years is a long time. I think that you would need to see a doctor to have the hand assessed. You could try to apply moist heat to the wrist and try some gentle stretching in the mean time.
Thanx for your advice but still I am really afraid if I will ever get my hand straighten as in last 5 years I fractured the same hand 5 times
A few weeks ago, i was doing reverse curls and i started feeling pain at the back of the elbow underneath the triceps. I also have a problem straightening my elbow. Showed to the doctor, it is not tennis elbow. Please tell me what i should do.
Give it at least a week or two of rest, that sounds like the start of tendonitis maybe? A neoprene elbow compression sleeve might also help remind you to not use the elbow / arm in the mean time.
My left elbow has been aching mildly for a few months now and about 1 month ago I noticed it doesn’t extend all the way. It’s now no longer bending all the way and my bicep aches as do a few areas around my elbow off and on when I feel around. I went to an orthopedic who immediately did X-rays. Those came out completely normal so he ordered blood work. That took two weeks to come back with a few slightly heightened inflammatory concerns so he sent me to a rhumatologist who I have an appointment with this week. My concern is that we are missing an obvious injury here. I work as a bartender (hauling ice, crates of booze, changing kegs etc) and I also have a 26 lb one year old son whom I’m always carrying with that arm. I’m not going to miss my appointment with the rhumatologist, but should I be treating this as an injury in the meantime? Maybe icing or ibuprofen?
I would brace the wrist (immobilizer that keeps the wrist still but allows the fingers and the thumb to move), as repetitive wrist flexion and extension can often lead to the type of thing that you are describing. I would also unload the arm as much as possible in terms of lugging things around.
Before two years,my elbow was fractured. After the treatment is completed,I can’t bend my left hand elbow more than 90 degrees.
Please help me how can recover my elbow normally?
At this point, probably see a doc about getting a stretching brace for the hand. The type of brace that you want is called a “static progressive brace”. It should be able to stretch the hand a little bit at a time with a low-grade stretch.
If the elbow joint attached crossly,is there any solution?
If the broken joints are attached crosslyat left hand elbow,what will be happened to hand,can you say any treatment for the hand?
I am not sure what you are asking???? In general if the hand is not moving well even though you broke your elbow, the hand should still be treated and stretched, with the doctor’s permission.
If the broken elbow joint attached crossly
Is there any danger in future?
Hello….Following 2 yrs of tennis elbow pain and limited arm use and two injections I had tennis elbow tendon release surgery 2 weeks ago. No real pain however I’m unable to fully extend. My bicep feels like it’s gonna rip and I get cramping sensation. I asked dr he told me to “force the arm to extend”. I was not sent to PT, I did ask. I am very concerned as I’m an active person and worries me that it is not moving too good. Maybe it’s too early dr didn’t seem concerned. This is also my dominant arm so I’m very nervous about permanent disability there. How can I help the mobility? Any recommendations? Very upsetting….I did a lot of weight lifting and I’m guessing my gym days are gonna be a thing of the past.
I would definitely find a skilled PT. Fuss with the doc and make him give you a prescription (if your insurance requires one). I would start with doing the gentle passive stretch lying on your back (to tolerance). The one mentioned in the blog.
A few weeks ago I opened a canning jar that was tightly sealed. As I was doing it I felt a sharp pain in my right elbow. Since then I can’t straighten my arm and it many times makes a popping sound when I use it much like snapping your finger.. I usually have little or no pain on it unless I use it lifting or doing some kind of work with it. Then it will feel sore for half a day or so. Will this eventually heal out or do I need to do more?
I would see a doc about it. It sounds like a strain, but the elbow not being able to straighten concerns me a bit. I would take it easy in the interim.
Hello DOC,
I had a dislocated left hand elbow 16 years back while playing soccer. I was treated without surgery but my elbow joint was not properly set in its position. Because of this my left hand bends towards my other hand (Normally our hands when stretched moves away from our body). I could completely stretch my hand, no issue with that but the only problem is, it bends towards my other hand. I can feel that elbow joint is not properly set. After all these years can treatment help me in correctly positioning of my elbow without surgery?
That is a very tough question. I would get an x-ray and ask an orthopedist specializing in elbows and wrists if that is possible. If it is the hand I would think that it might be treatable with static progressive bracing?
Thank you DOC,
I will get an x-ray and consult orthopedist. Yes it is left hand elbow.
I was born with arms that can’t fully straighten. I do a type of dance called calisthenics (it involves gymnastics, ballet, jaz, acting, singing, manipulating rods and swinging clubs) and it involves the need of straight arms. It doesn’t hurt to get them to my version straight, but of course when they are pushed it hurts.
I don’t think that this will change without some type of surgical intervention. If things are going fine and you can do just about everything that you want to do, then why bother?
Sir i have met an accident and as a result i got elbow disjointed. I have gone through 12 days sling. But when we opened sling the elbow is still swollen plus i cant rotate or straighten it please give me some advice. Thanks
These things take months to resolve. I would start with gentle active range of motion of the elbow as long as the doctor is okay with this. Elbow flexion, extension, and wrist turning up and down are all ideas. Start slowly and realize that you will need to be compliant and patient with this.
HI there! I am 23 and have had agressive Rhuematoid Arthritis for 5 years. About a year ago I started to notice I couldn’t straighten my left elbow out anymore all the way nor can I bring it back to me like towards my shoulder. I asked my rhuemy and he said it was probably damage but he wasnt concerned. well my gp did a xray and there is NO damage by rhuematoid. What do you think it might be? and its locking if i hold it bent for longer than 5 minutes
I would maybe see an orthopedist. It could be tendonitis from underuse?
Hello, I didn’t realise until I was a teenager but I am unable to straighten my right arm. In the X-rays taken while I was in high school (I’m now 35) it apparently looks like the elbow is partially dislocated and just healed like that. I have very rarely experienced pain but would love to be able to straighten it. Do you think there is anyway other than surgery (which I wouldn’t get unless there was severe pain) that could help improve it? Thank you, Monika :)
Most likely not. With that amount of time, you would probably need to consult with an orthopedist who specializes in elbows.
Hi doc, I’m 17…I am a judo player and had an elbow dislocation…its been a month now..I’m out of sling but my arm doesn’t straighten over 90° ..and if i try to do so it pains …again i have my tournaments in coming month can i play them???
Ugh. I don’t think that you should be playing if you cannot extend your elbow past 90°. I would talk to the doc about a course of physical therapy to work on elbow ranges of motion. My guess is that it is also going to take several more months for the inflammation to go down and for most of that range to come back. Be patient with this.
Thanks for everything …but i can hardly see any inflammation…its just my elbow is too stiff and i can’t feel any loss in my strength
My 11 yr old son’s right elbow won’t straighten out beyond about 45 degrees. It’s been like that for a week now. The boy is autistic and therefore can not express himself clearly for us to know how it started. He indicates that he is in pain whenever you try to force it out. X-rays taken do not show any fracture and the orthopedic surgeon has referred us back to the paediatrician for “further management”. What could it be? Is my boy likely to recover his flexibility? Can the Physiotherapist help?
Hmmm. He probably fell back on to his elbows or otherwise directly banged the joint.
PT might be helpful, but that might be a bit premature if this has only been an issue for one week. I would give it a week or two of gentle stretching, nothing crazy in terms of the amount of pressure used. Children do tend to rebound quite well.
If you are getting nowhere, visiting a pediatric / orthopedic based PT is a good idea. The trick is getting your child to work on extending the elbow in a way that is fun and engaging.
I’m just wondering so I have juvenile arthritis and it’s been spreading so I’m wondering cause my right will go straight but my left if you put it straight it’s it goes is a kind of less than symbol
I would see a rheumatologist about this if you have not already. I think that the key to this is getting the inflammation under control with medication?? I have seen patients who have flare-ups that effect the hip, but once the inflammation is under control it tends to improve the hip quite a bit.
Good day, a few years ago i was playing batmenton and fel directly on my right elbow, the swelling made it look like a second elbow. I did not go and see a doctor i just let nature take its course, the swelling was bad for around a month if i remember.
Then this year i started boxing on a punshing bag and noticed that my elbow started to pain. And i noticed that i can’t fully extend my arm.
The pain is on the elbow itself. On the outside.
Any advice?
I would take it easy for at least one week, nothing strenuous. I do think that a trip to the orthopedist is a good idea in this case given the previous injury.
I’m 22 and I was playing basketball and fell on my left elbow and it was fractured or cracked. I got a cast on it for 4 weeks.I took it off 5 days ago and now I can’t straighten it. Do you think I will ever straighten it again or am I overreacting.
I would start with active ranges of motion, and the passive stretch on your back like the one in the blog. You are young so I am guessing that you will get most if not all of the range back. As always, get permission from the doc to start some range work. If you are getting absolutely nowhere within a few weeks I would seek some guidance from a PT.