Getting rid of pain in the tip of the elbow – olecranon pain –

Olecranon pain or pain in the tip or in the back of the elbow is primarily caused by tense muscles.

On this page, you will learn which muscles are usually responsible and the self-massage techniques you can use to relax them.

Sounds easy and in principle, it is.

You just have to set aside any existing scepticism you, and most people have about self-massages and get started.

1. Olecranon pain – which muscles are likely to cause it?

Don’t let the seemingly complicated names of the following muscles frighten you.

They only sound strange because your ears aren’t yet accustomed to the Latin terms.

There’s no reason to let that stop you though.

Pain in the tip of the elbow is caused in most cases by your triceps brachii and/or your serratus posterior superior.

Your triceps is attached to the tip of the elbow, also called the olecranon, by its insertion tendon.

If it is tensed, the excess tension can be transferred to your elbow and can lead to pain.

The serratus posterior superior, which is located under your shoulder blade, can produce pain your elbow even though it is not attached to it.

Trigger points in this muscle are to blame for this.

They arise due to stress and can produce pain in seemingly unrelated regions of the body.

In this case, at the tip of your elbow and your olecranon, respectively.

2. Getting rid of your olecranon pain

Excessive muscle tension and trigger points can be easily dealt with and can even be eliminated with a self-massage.

All you need for this is a little patience and the will to find the relevant muscles and to do the self-massage.

We’ll be getting started right away in the very next section of this page!

2.1 Self-massage of your triceps brachii

We’ll start by massaging the triceps brachii. But before doing so I would like to point out that this page is also included in my eBook.

When it comes to pain in the tip of the elbow, the problem usually lies in the area directly over its insertion tendon.

As such, you will be focusing your massage in this area.

You will be using the pressure-motion technique for this massage.

  • Cup your hand like a shovel and press into the muscle on the backside of the upper arm with your fingers – that is your triceps.
  • Now bend and straighten your elbow a few times.
  • With each extension – especially when extending your arm until it is completely straight – you will be able to feel how the muscle contracts and relaxes.

The advantage of this massage technique in that the area to be massaged is easy to reach. The disadvantage is that it is easy to slip away from the tendon.

As an alternative, you can massage your triceps using your knuckels.

  • To do this, sit on a chair and relax your elbow.
  • Rotate the tip of your elbow so that it is pointing toward your abdomen.
  • Now, place the knuckle of the index finger on your free hand directly on the insertion tendon of the triceps.
  • Now press with your upper arm against the knuckle and rotate the wrist of the massaging hand.
  • Massage the painful areas of the tendon 10 – 15 times this way.

2.2 Self-massage of your serratus posterior superior

We’ll continue with the serratus posterior superior. The best tool for this massage is a massage ball.

First, an important detail: To be able to reach this muscle, you have to lift the arm of the side to be massaged across your chest and hold it there.

Otherwise, this massage won’t be effective.

  • Place the ball on the upper interior portion of the back side of your shoulder blade and lean against a wall.
  • Now rotate your arm as described above.
  • The fibres of your serratus posterior superior are now “exposed” and can be massaged.
  • Press the ball into your back and roll it along the inner side of your shoulder blade.
  • You will probably come across some very painful areas. If not, probe the area more carefully until you are sure that you have gone over the region thoroughly.
  • As soon as you find a sensitive area, limit the rolling movements to this location and go over the spot 10 – 15 times.
  • Repeat this procedure until you have covered the whole inner side of your shoulder blade and have massaged all of the sensitive areas.

4. Another tip

Massage these two muscles daily until the pain in the tip of your elbow has disappeared.

Important! It may be somewhat difficult for you to find the right muscles at the beginning, but you mustn’t give up.

You’re not expected to get it right on the first try.

Just remember to practice and approach it like it is an exploration of your body, because that’s exactly what it is.

It will be necessary to invest a little time in it.

However, in the end, you be rewarded for your efforts with an awareness of your body that others could only wish for.