• Repetitive movement, especially overhead or fine motor tasks (often during sports or work)

• Referred pain from pinched nerves in the spine

• Direct trauma, often during slips and falls or contact sports

• Age-related wear and tear (osteoarthritis)

• Sports injuries

• The presence of another underlying health condition, such as rheumatoid arthritis or gout

These factors can lead to problems like joint space narrowing, joint space inflammation, muscle spasms or irritation, ligament sprains, epicondylitis (tennis elbow and golfer's elbow), or bursitis.

Signs and symptoms of elbow dysfunction may include pain (often described as dull, achy, or throbbing), swelling and tenderness at the joint, audible or palpable grinding or clicking in the joint, decreased range of motion in the arm (especially with pronation and supination—turning your palm down or up), difficulty grasping or picking up objects, difficulty turning doorknobs and opening jars, weakness in the arm or hand, or even numbness and tingling in the fingers (if nerve impingement is involved).