Elbow Braces & Supports
What are Elbow Braces/Wraps Used For?
Elbow braces, elbow wraps and elbow bands can be used for any number of elbow related injuries. These include but are not limited to tennis elbow, golfers elbow, Flexor Tendinitis, Valgus Extension Overload, Ulnar Collateral Ligament injuries, and several others. These injuries often occur around the outside portion of the elbow, causing some discomfort if not supported properly. Elbow Braces are meant to support the elbow, preventing further stretching or tearing of the muscles involved.
Tennis Elbow Braces and bands are meant to fully support the elbow and its associated joints, sometimes by applying pressure to a specific area or locking the entire elbow in one position. On occasion a tennis elbow wrap will come with an adjustable brace, such as the Ergodyne 655 Neoprene Elbow Sleeve with Adjustable Cinch Wrap. These can serve to compress the elbow while also applying pressure to the upper forearm for pain relief. For complete immobilization without the use of a cast, an Aircast Mayo Clinic Elbow Brace can begin treatment by locking the elbow into one position and slowly adjusting over time. This will give the patient more range of motion until the entire area is healed.
Symptoms of Elbow Injuries
There are several symptoms associated with most common elbow-type injuries. The most common includes pain or inflammation near or around the elbow region. These inflammations often involve a painful feeling along with a sense of the area having an increase in temperature when touched. Persons involved in athletics that involve a lot of arm motion may feel pain when the area just outside of the elbow is pressed. On top of muscle tightness, joint inflammation (bursitis) can accompany or follow the initial symptoms.
What Elbow Sleeves are Used For
Elbow sleeves are typically lightweight, durable and made with heavy-duty material that also allows the skin to breathe. These sleeves also apply some form of compression to help relieve pain associated with tennis elbow and other related injuries. The ProLite Elbow Sleeve Support, for example, applies compression to the elbow joint's soft tissues and has knitted material for flexibility. Compression sleeves such as the ProLite are often used for non-serious but still painful elbow and joint injuries. Other similar sleeves are made with different but still breathable material and also have different levels of compression that can be applied once placed on the arm.
Which Sleeve is Right for Me?
It's important to know what type of elbow injury is being handled before attempting to select from a brace, band or sleeve. Each type of elbow support, as outlined above, offers a different type of healing method. These include anything from applying isolated pressure to an area to fully locking the elbow and its related joints in place. It's best to come up with a proper diagnosis of the elbow injury before selecting which type and style is the right one.
