Epicondyle
What is an epicondyle? It is a small rounded projection found on or above the condyle that is usually serving as an attachment for ligaments, muscles and tendons. This section of the bone has two prominent features: the lateral and medial epicondyles.
Lateral Epicondyle
The lateral epicondyle may refer to the two separate structures of the body: the attachment to the humerus, which is the long bone in the upper arm of the body, is located near the elbow, and the attachment to femur, the large leg bone in the thigh, can be found near the knee joint.
The common disorder that is obtained from this attachment is the “tennis elbow” or lateral epicondylitis. This type of injury is caused by the overuse of arms that causes strain to the elbow joints and tear to the muscles. The stressed body part is commonly treated with cold, rest, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and therapy. If the strain muscles will not be given immediate treatment and pursue the repetitive movements, the injury may progress and may become chronic.
While lateral epicondylitis is an injury found in the humerus, the iliotibial band friction syndrome (ITBFS) is the kind of leg pain found in the femur. Most people who have high risk in acquiring this kind of disorder are runners and cyclists. Conservative therapy is the basic treatment for this injury, but if pain does not resolve, surgery may be indicated.
Medial Epicondyle
Medial epicondyle is a bony protrusion that can be found inside the bone located in the humerus as well as in the femur. However, it is larger than the attachment outside (lateral). The common injury obtained from this is the medial epicondylitis. Just like to the “tennis elbow”, too much use or repetitive movements of arms and forearm may lead to muscle tear which will then results to elbow pain and weakness. This type of injury commonly affects children that are exposed to throwing sports such as basketball and baseball. Repetitive throwing may exert too much pressure to the arms which results to elbow pain.
A common disorder also found on most adults, especially to those that are exposed to the sports golf is the “golfer’s elbow”. Too much swinging will also cause pressure on the muscle and may lead to this kind of injury. However, people whose tasks require repetitive movement of the arms may also acquire this condition, such as office staffs that do a lot of computer works, etc.
Although this injury is a minor one, this will become severe and chronic if not treated immediately. If you already feel the symptoms, like difficulty to pick up or hold objects, better if you consult your physician so that treatment will be immediately applied. But mostly, the basic remedy to alleviate the pain is to rest the affected part. Or if that does not resolve the pain, a physical therapy is then applied. The therapy will help ease the pain in the medial epicondyle area as well as improve your muscles’ strength and flexibility.
