Diagnosis of Anterior Elbow Pain
Patients with anterior elbow pain feel the symptom in front of the elbow, just below the biceps muscle. The most likely cause of anterior elbow pain is biceps tendinopathy. In other words, the biceps tendon is affected by inflammation or another disease. The type of pain is not severe, but it is insidious and vague.
Doctors will probably ask their patients about their physical activity levels and if they are used to performing dumbbell curls at the gym. Was this pain triggered shortly after working out the biceps muscle?
In the physical exam, the doctor can flex the elbow to 90 degrees and ask patients to move the forearm as if they were turning a knob. The biceps would normally move in response. If it doesn’t, a torn biceps tendon is diagnosed.
Gout, rheumatoid arthritis, and osteoarthritis can also cause anterior elbow pain. However, they are more likely to trigger other types of pain.