(Pain site: medial elbow) I Overview Abnormal or repetitive lifting, pulling, pounding, clenching, or athletic injuries caused by (radial carpal flexor tendon) Wang Tao, Department of Orthopaedics, Affiliated Hospital of Qinghai University II Symptoms (Patient’s words) “I’ve been having pains in my neck, shoulder, and upper extremities and the pain is the worst along the medial side of my elbow” “I have elbow pain after using the computer for a few hours” “I have severe pain as soon as my elbow is turned outwards” III Treatment Stage 1 (short duration, mild symptoms): 1 Restriction of inappropriate activities; 2 Oral painkillers 3 Cold compresses Stage 2 (symptoms last for (1 month) The first stage of treatment is supplemented by the use of a forearm brace or cast; however, if elbow pain occurs with forearm rotation it is recommended that a long arm brace or cast be used. Stage 3 (2 months of symptoms): forearm brace or cast is highly recommended in addition to Stage 1 treatment, plus local closure Stage 4 (more than 3 months): 1 Palm-up lifting is initiated after pain resolves 2 Surgery may be considered in manual laborers with persistent symptoms Closure (local injections) 1 Success depends on the accuracy of injecting the medication into the junction between the subcutaneous fat and the tendon. Success depends on whether the medication is injected accurately into the junction of subcutaneous fat and tendon, either too deep or too shallow can not achieve the best results, need to be more experienced in this area of the doctor. 2 Post-injection management: rest for 3 days, cold compresses, continuous application of braces or casts for 3-4 weeks, and avoidance of inappropriate activities; if symptoms are reduced by <50%, the injection can be repeated in 6 weeks. V Surgery Patients with significant impairment of grip function and forearm strength should be operated on, as surgery restores 90% of tendon strength. Prognosis 95% of patients are cured with the above treatment.