Elbow pain for a month

I hit my left elbow about a month ago.  Had the usual funny bone feeling experience.  But every since, have had pain in my elbow.  It's not a terrible pain just a consistent ache.  hurts when I flex it up and some when I stretch it out.  Soemtimes worse then others.  Go thing is I am right handed.  Do i need to see a doctor or just treat with ice and ibporfen.  

[J T Junig, MD PhD]

I would expect the pain to go away eventually.  Perhaps more to the point I don't think there is much a doctor can do for the situation.  You don't describe pain down into your pinkie, or numbness of the fingers, so it doesn't sound like you injured the ulnar nerve (which gives rise to the funny bone pain).  You probably 'bruised the bone' as they say-- some part of the bony ridges that protect the nerve were likely damaged, causing inflammation, swelling, and pain.  Icing the area sounds like a good approach for the first week and then after extensive use of the arm, but if you are not using the arm a lot I would probably stop icing it at this point.  Continue with NSAIDS like ibuprofen to reduce inflammation;  you might even consider a couple weeks of antiinflammatory doses if your stomach tolerates it.  That would be a dose of 800 mg of ibuprofen three times per day (2400 mg per 24 hours max).

Again, though, I don't think there is much a doc would offer, outside of maybe immobilizing things with a sling to allow the inflammation to cool down.

[ellro]

A related discussion, pain management was started.