Ulnar Collateral Ligament: Symptoms, Causes, Treatment By Elbow Braces

Why Ulnar Collateral Ligament also called Elbow Hyperextension?

Ulnar Collateral Ligament, or UCL, is a term that refers to the injury caused by overstressing the elbow. This is an injury that causes pain. It is most commonly found in athletics or people who are active in sports like Javeline, Volleyball, etc. it is also common in children.

Ligaments refer to a strong band of tissues. They control the movements of the bones. These bands connect the bones to the bones. They form a challenging connection. If the ligaments are hurt or torn, this can cause uncontrolled movements of the bones. However, these movements can also be involuntary.

Among many types of ligament ruptures, there is the Ulnar collateral Ligament. It refers to an injury in the ligaments of the elbow. The most common symptom of the Ulnar Collateral Ligament is pain in the inner side of the elbow. The pain is slow but can build up fast if proper care is not given to the injury.

What is Elbow Hyperextension?

Elbow Hyperextension happens when the elbow is moved in the wrong direction, too far, for too long. This can cause pain in the arm’s mobility and the hand’s movement.

It can cause pain or discomfort and may also lead to the dislocation of the bone. This is a strain on the ligament and needs to be treated so that the ligament can be repaired.

If a person is doing weight-bearing sports or activities over time, the ligament bears the weight that a muscle should be supporting. This can cause Hyperextension.

The Ulnar Collateral Ligament must be taken care of while performing weight-bearing activities or sports involving elbow movement in the opposite direction.

What Causes Elbow Hyperextensions?

The Ulnar Collateral Ligament is the ligament that joins the elbow bones together. If the elbow is moved too far, it can cause the ligaments to tear. In addition, some reasons or activities can cause Elbow Hyperextension.

A person related to exhausting sports or physical activities is most likely to experience it. The causes of Elbow Hyperextension are listed below.

Contact sports can cause the elbow to go out of its natural movement range. In addition, sports like baseball, Javelin require a lot of pressure from the hand and elbow.
Physical activities: weight-lifting or even some asanas of yoga can lead to the Ulnar Collateral Ligaments being damaged.
Martial arts: this is also a cause of Elbow Hyperextension.

Often, kids or even toddlers also face Elbow Hyperextension. The following are the most common causes of it.

They are rolling in their crib and sleeping in an awkward position.
While falling, they extend their hands towards the ground first.
If someone pulls their hand hard or if they swing too hard.
When the arm is jerked.

Elbow Hyperextension Injury Treatments and Exercises

Once you know that your Ulnar Collateral Ligament is damaged or torn, you must follow treatment or do some exercises to cure it. There are a few easy treatments that can be done without medical supervision. But if the Elbow Hyperextension is severe, you may need a doctor.

There is Non-surgical treatment, and there is also surgery done to treat Elbow Hyperextension. This surgery is known as the “Tommy John Surgery” or the Ulnar Collateral Ligaments (UCL) Reconstruction.

Non-Surgical Treatments:

Taking painkillers like ibuprofen, etc.
This involves a lot of exercises for the hand and the elbow, specifically. A trained physiotherapist will teach you how to do the exercises; after a few sessions, you will have to do the exercises without the therapist.
Applying ice to help reduce the swelling in the affected area.

UCL Reconstruction:

This is an invasive surgery and will require the implantation of ligaments from some other parts of the body or a donor.

What is the Best Elbow Brace for Elbow Hyperextension?

A doctor might suggest getting an elbow brace to support the ligaments. This will also help in controlling involuntary movements. In addition, a specific type of elbow braces is designed to make the healing process faster.

WorldBrace is a company that has been manufacturing braces for the past 20 years and more. The braces produced are top quality and highly recommended. The elbow brace is designed specially to cater to the needs and requirements of speeding the recovery process of Elbow Hyperextension.