Symptom
Understanding elbow pain and investigating it appropriately
At first, a strong pulling movement makes your elbow hurt. Later, even lifting a coffee cup or turning a door handle is enough. Perhaps you have already reduced the activity that strains it and wonder why your arm still does not feel dependable.
Open individual sections or all the details on this page.
Which symptoms need urgent examination
After an injury with severe pain, deformity or substantial restriction of movement, seek urgent medical examination. The same applies to new, marked changes in sensation or loss of strength, and to a hot, swollen joint with fever. Do not wait for a routine consultation.
If sudden arm pain occurs with chest pressure, breathlessness or circulatory problems, call 112. An online reception is not an emergency service. For other urgent orthopaedic concerns, you can enquire in advance about an appointment at our acute clinic. If symptoms are rapidly worsening or are acute and unclear, immediate medical assessment matters more than searching for a suitable diagnosis online.
Understanding
A closer look
To assess the problem, we need to know which movement triggers the pain, where you feel it and whether there have been other changes. At OrthoCoast in Wolgast, we examine elbow symptoms with a focus on their cause and what you want to be able to do again at work, at home or in sport. You do not need to have settled on a seemingly suitable diagnosis from the internet.
Why the location of pain is only part of the answer
Pain on the outside of the elbow may fit tennis elbow; pain on the inside may fit golfer’s elbow. These conditions involve the tendon attachments of the forearm muscles. The names do not mean you must play either sport. Demands at work and in everyday life are also relevant to your history.
Other causes are possible, however. Joint changes, an injury or an irritated bursa may require different investigations and treatments. If your elbow is swollen, you cannot straighten it as usual, or symptoms extend into the hand, we want to assess this more closely.
Tingling and numbness are therefore as important as the pain itself. They may raise an additional question about nerve function. Please tell us not only where it hurts, but whether your hand feels different or you hold objects less securely. Diagnosing yourself from a single painful spot could overlook these connections.
Further information
What we would like to know about your everyday life
Did your symptoms start after a single event or develop over several weeks? Do you regularly work with tools, lift loads repeatedly or have you changed your training? Questions like these help us understand the actual demands on your arm. They do not mean that each of these activities inevitably causes a condition.
Please also describe which changes to reduce strain are practical for you. If you need to grip things at work or help relatives at home, you cannot simply avoid demanding tasks altogether. This distinction matters when planning care. We want to find practical changes with you and discuss how to recognise whether your arm is tolerating activity better.
Previous treatment is also relevant. Bring existing findings and tell us about exercises, supports, medicines or injections. A good result in the past is a useful indication, but it does not replace checking whether the same approach fits the cause of your symptoms today.
How we use examination and imaging
We assess elbow movement and examine the affected areas. Selected movements and loading tests help us assess the symptoms more precisely. If necessary, we also consider neighbouring joints and nerve function. The aim is an explanation that fits your history and examination findings.
Not every painful elbow needs additional imaging. Ultrasound can help answer particular questions about tendons and soft tissues. An X-ray may be useful for bony changes or after an injury. Further imaging, such as MRI or CT, is arranged externally when there is a relevant question to answer.
We explain what information an investigation should provide and how it might affect the next step. An abnormal image is not a complete treatment plan. Equally, normal imaging does not mean your difficulties are unimportant.
How treatment and activity fit together
Treatment depends on the cause identified. If a tendon attachment is irritated, part of the approach is to change unhelpful loading and gradually rebuild a suitable capacity for activity. For tennis or golfer’s elbow, guided stretching and strengthening exercises may be part of this process. You will find a fuller explanation on our condition page.
An exercise plan should make clear which movement is intended and how the load can be adjusted. Continuing to work through significant symptoms is no more a general plan than stopping use of the arm indefinitely. Acute injuries may need different protective measures, which is why assessment comes first.
If medication, a support or other measures are considered, we discuss the purpose of each. For injections or shockwave treatment, we also consider the strength of the evidence for the particular condition and any risks or costs involved. An available procedure is not automatically a suitable standard treatment for every painful elbow.
If symptoms do not improve as expected with the agreed approach, the progress needs to be reassessed. We review the diagnosis, the actual demands on the arm and the treatment so far. A lack of improvement is a reason to reconsider and adapt, not simply to repeat the same measure.
What to expect and next steps
What to bring to your appointment
Existing medical reports, access details for any scans and your current medication list are helpful. Before the discussion, you can note which tasks are particularly difficult and how symptoms change during a working or training day. A lengthy record is not necessary.
Our main contacts for orthopaedic examination are Priv. Doz. Dr. med. habil. Richard Kasch, Dr. med. Christoph Jährling and Björn Weidemann. ‘Appointments & enquiries’ explains how to arrange your visit. If the digital options do not adequately describe what you need, please contact us by telephone. We plan a specific treatment following medical advice, not solely on the basis of an appointment type’s name.
Our doctors in this specialty
Priv. Doz. Dr. med. habil.Richard Kasch
Specialist in orthopaedics and trauma surgery
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Dr. med.Christoph Jährling
Specialist in orthopaedics and trauma surgery
DVO-certified osteologist
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Björn Weidemann
Specialist in orthopaedics and trauma surgery
DVO-certified osteologist
View profileHere you can see which of our doctors assess your symptoms. Your questions and the difficulties you experience in everyday life help guide the assessment.
Frequently asked questions
Can you develop tennis elbow without playing tennis?
Yes. The name describes symptoms at the outer tendon attachment of the elbow; it does not require a history of playing the sport. Repeated loading in everyday life or at work may also be important to the assessment.
Should I rest my arm completely until the appointment?
There is no single answer while the cause of symptoms is unclear. Reduce activities that clearly make things worse, and seek urgent assessment for acute injuries or warning signs. Whether and how you can keep moving or exercising depends on the cause.
Is shockwave treatment always useful?
No. Whether shockwave therapy is considered at all depends on the diagnosis, progress and alternatives. We discuss its potential role and limitations for your particular findings; the location of pain alone is not a sufficient reason to use it.
Does an assessment automatically involve self-funded costs?
No. There is no general self-funding agreement for services billed exclusively through GKV. If you wish to pay for a service that German statutory health insurance does not cover, you will receive a quotation beforehand and confirm your wish for treatment and your acceptance of the costs with your signature before the service is provided.
Your next step
