I am not looking for medical advice. I have made an appointment with a doctor.
I have had a sore elbow since I hyperextended it playing hockey last fall. There is no pain, only a mild discomfort during some arm motions. Some days are worse that others. It does not hinder me in any way.
What would or could happen to my elbow in the long run if I did not seek treatment? Assume there is a swollen tenden, would it turn into cancer or other nasty disease? Or would I simply feel this annoyance for the rest of my life without any long term consequences?
Well, without giving you medical advice, I’ll say what my doctors generally say about my knee complaints: “If it bothers you – either because you can’t do want you want to do or it hurts too much – we can try and fix it. If it doesn’t bother you, we’ll leave it alone… Surgery increases the risk of arthritis in the long term (compared to leaving it alone)”.
Many things could happen, depending on the underlying cause of the pain and one’s own physiology.
If the underlying cause is something bad like infection or cancer or systemic immune disease like rheumatoid, it could destroy the joint and cause damage to other parts of the body. And kill a person.
If it’s basically wear and tear, such as damage from trauma, degenerative joint disease, inflammation in the bursa or the epicondyls due to use, well then it just hurts. Eventually it may calm down on its own, or one may use it differently so the strains are taken off of it, or the nerve pain fibers may burn out, or even get more sensitive. Muscles may atrophy from disuse, other muscles may build up to compensate; many possibilities abound.
Treatments may range from some ice/heat combos, rest, elevation, and compression to stretching exercises, relaxation, use of pain killers and anti-inflammatory pills, to injections into the region or nerve root to relieve it, along with possible physical/occupational therapy, use of meds for neuropathic pain, electrical nerve stimulator devices, etc. etc.
If the problem is extremely localized and anatomical such as a pinched nerve, entrapped tendon, or a blocked artery, it may respond to surgery and rehab; or it may not. Nothing’s more depressing than getting a patient with “pain after failed surgery”.
A good orthopedist will tell you: “I may or may not be able to make you better with surgery, but I sure can make you different”. These are words to contemplate long and hard before entertaining surgical fixes.
Clearly, when the Qad doc talks, you listen. But assuming that there’s no underlying condition that can become seriously threatening to your health, you’ll be in the same situation as the old joke: “Doc, it hurts when I do this.” “Don’t do that.”
I was supposed to get knee surgery “immediately”, but when I asked later, I was told that if I could put up with the pain, I can put off The Knife as long as I want. Which I am doing.