Give praise to the elbow: A bending, twisting marvel

Dec 06, 2023

Staying Healthy

I recently saw a car vanity plate that read "LBODOC" (as in elbow doc). The driver — probably an orthopedic doctor or arthritis specialist — was clearly a fan of the elbow, an unassuming joint and a surprisingly central player in many daily tasks. I could relate: throughout my medical career, the elbow has been my favorite joint.

Here's why we should give praise to elbows and do all we can to protect them.

Let's face it: the human experience would be quite different without elbows.

Imagine your arm without a joint that bends at the elbow. You'd be unable to easily feed yourself, put on makeup, shave your face, or brush your teeth. It'd be tough to get dressed or throw a ball without elbows. And, importantly, wiping yourself after using the bathroom would be nearly impossible.

Yet, when it comes to joints and joint disease, we hear little about elbows; hips and knees get most of the attention. So, let's consider for a moment what the lowly elbow does and why it deserves more credit.

Three bones come together at the elbow joint: the humerus, which is in the upper arm, and two long bones called the ulna and radius in the lower arm.

Your elbow has two main motions:

Probably for two reasons:

Like so many overlooked and underappreciated things, most people think little about their elbows until something goes wrong. Here are some of the most common elbow problems:

And the surprising fifth problem? Cell phone-induced nerve irritation: holding your elbow bent for a long time can lead to "cell phone elbow" due to pressure on the ulnar nerve. This can cause numbness and pain down the arm. The solution? Put the phone down — or at least go hands-free.

Considering all our elbows do for us, we need to do our best to protect them. That means:

As the junction between hand and shoulder, our elbows play a pivotal role in everyday function. It's high time we recognized them for what they do for us. Even if the elbow isn't your favorite joint — as it is for me — perhaps it should be in your top five. After all, think of all the things you couldn't do without them.

Robert H. Shmerling, MD, Senior Faculty Editor, Harvard Health Publishing; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing

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