When the ligaments, muscles, or tendons in the elbow are overstretched or torn, it can cause swelling, pain, and difficulty moving the elbow.

Ulnar collateral ligament (UCL): This sprain is a common injury in baseball players, occurring when the ligaments on the inner side of your elbow are stretched or torn due to repeated throwing motions.

Little Leaguer’s Elbow: This sprain is a common overuse injury experienced in adolescent baseball or softball. Repetitive overhand throwing causes the inner elbow growth plate to become inflamed, resulting in pain while throwing or immediately after.

This diagnosis describes any problem with a tendon, including disease, injury, or disorder. The most common types of tendon injuries include tendonitis and tendinosis, which both cause pain and stiffness.

Tennis elbow: Perhaps one of the most well-known sources of elbow pain, tennis elbow occurs due to degeneration and/or inflammation in the tendons of the outer elbow. It’s often associated with tasks that involve gripping, lifting, or twisting the forearm, such as holding a tennis racket, paintbrush, or hammer.

Golfer’s elbow: This condition is similar to tennis elbow, except the pain is on the inside of the elbow due to the overuse of muscles that flex the wrist and fingers.

This is a condition in which the joint becomes inflamed, leading to pain, swelling, and stiffness. Rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and psoriatic arthritis can all affect the elbow joint.

Several nerves run through the elbow to the forearm and hand. Forceful, repetitive stresses on the elbow joint can injure those nerves, leading to pain and tingling sensations.

This is a condition in which the bursa, a small fluid-filled sac near the elbow joint, becomes inflamed and swollen, leading to pain, swelling, and limited range of motion.

If you’ve fallen recently and are now struggling with stiffness, weakness, and persistent pain in your elbow, you might have a fractured bone somewhere in your upper extremity.