Elbow and arm pain is not usually a sign of anything serious. If it does not go away after a few weeks, see a GP.

How you can ease elbow and arm pain yourself

To ease elbow and arm pain, try these things for a couple of days:

put a heat pack or a pack of frozen peas wrapped in a tea towel on your arm – do this for 10 to 15 minutes, every few hours
take painkillers like paracetamol or ibuprofen
raise your arm if it's swollen

Non-urgent advice: See a GP if:

Go to an urgent treatment centre or A&E if:

you have severe pain in your arm and it's difficult to move
you've injured your arm and you heard a snapping noise or your arm has changed shape
your arm tingles or feels numb

arm pain has come on suddenly and it occurs with pressure, heaviness or squeezing across your chest

This could be a sign of a heart attack.

Apart from an injury, these things can cause arm and elbow pain.

Do not self-diagnose. See a GP if you're worried.

Common causes of elbow and arm pain
Main symptoms	Possible cause
Pain on the outside of the elbow, difficulty to fully extend the arm	Tennis elbow
Joint pain, stiffness, swelling, difficulty moving the affected area	Tendonitis or bursitis
Pain, tenderness, bruising, swelling	Sprains and strains
Pain, stiffness coming down from the shoulder	Frozen shoulder
Pain and stiffness in the joints	Arthritis
Swelling around a joint, a high temperature or feeling hot and shivery	Joint infection (septic arthritis)

If you have elbow or arm pain, you might be able to refer yourself directly to services for help with your condition without seeing a GP.

To find out if there are any services in your area:

Page last reviewed: 26 January 2024
Next review due: 26 January 2027