How Liniments Treat Burning in the Elbow

Liniments are used in Chinese medicine to treat the burning you feel in your elbow. If your elbow burns when you bend your arm, grip or lift objects, or lean on your elbow, the sensation can come from irritated tendons or a nearby compressed or irritated nerve. You may notice the burning gets worse after lifting objects repeatedly, twisting your arm, or working with your hands for a long time. Liniments are used to treat this burning sensation in your elbow by increasing circulation to the affected tissues.

In Chinese medicine, poor circulation is associated with blood stasis, also referred to as blood stagnation, which occurs when blood flow is disrupted in an injured area, causing blood and fluids to accumulate around the affected tissues and restricting the circulation needed to help those tissues recover properly.

When your knee has been injured or overused, stagnant blood and fluids accumulate in your knee and restrict circulation to the affected tendons, ligaments, and muscles, making it harder for those tissues to receive the oxygen and nutrients they need for repair and recovery. This restricted circulation can leave your elbow feeling like it is burning, with heat under the skin, a sharp sting, or an electric sensation when you bend or straighten your arm.

Liniments are used in Chinese medicine to treat burning in the elbow by dispersing stagnant blood and fluids and increasing circulation to the affected tissues. A liniment is a liquid preparation containing Chinese herbs that you rub into the skin as an effective topical treatment that is easy to apply and absorbs quickly.

Liniments are effective because the medicinal properties of the Chinese herbs work to disperse stagnant blood and fluids and increase circulation, while the alcohol base of the liniment carries those medicinal properties through the skin to the affected tissues that need support for repair and healing.

The recommended liniment for your elbow depends on the symptoms you’re experiencing, as explained below.

Bruise Relief Liniment by Battlefield Pain Relief is used when swelling, inflammation, bruising, redness, and pain are present.

Pain Relief Liniment by Battlefield Pain Relief is used after the swelling and inflammation are gone, but you still feel pain, stiffness, weakness, or sensitivity in cold weather.

The treatment guide below explains how the symptoms differ during the Inflammatory Stage and Regeneration Stage of healing and which liniment is used during each stage.

Inflammatory Stage Symptoms & Treatment

This stage is characterized by swelling, bruising, redness, pain, and possibly a local sensation of heat, indicating inflammation. If coolness makes your pain feel better, then the Bruise Relief Liniment is recommended.

The swelling is the result of the blockage of blood, tissue fluids and circulation in the elbow because their normal movement has been disrupted by the force of the injury. Just like cars back up behind a traffic jam, causing congestion, exhaust and overheating; blood and fluids back up behind the injured elbow, causing pain, inflammation, lumps and swelling.

The sensation of heat is due to the warming action of the blood and fluids overheating in the injured area as they back up and accumulate. Stiffness and decreased mobility are due to spasms in tendons and ligaments that have contracted reflexively beyond their normal range from the impact of the injury.

As ligaments and tendons stretch and tear, blood from ruptured blood vessels becomes trapped in the local tissues. As the trapped blood clots up, it sticks the tissues together creating adhesions. Adhesions cause pain, inflammation and restricted movement because the layers of tissue that used to slide smoothly across one another now adhere and snap which interferes with normal functioning. It is essential to break up clotted blood as quickly as possible to prevent adhesions and scar tissue from forming.

During this stage it is very important to restore normal circulation to the injured area, break up clotted blood and stagnant fluids, reduce swelling, and reduce the redness and heat associated with inflammation. By restoring the flow of blood, fluids, and circulation, then pain and bruising is relieved, damaged tissues can regenerate with healthy functional tissue, and the elbow can strengthen and regain its mobility.

Massage your elbow with Bruise Relief Liniment to relieve pain and bruising, reduce swelling and inflammation, break up clotted blood and stagnant fluids, and stimulate circulation of blood and fluids to help cells quickly repair damaged tissues. Ice Substitute Poultice can be used in-between applications.

Regeneration Stage Symptoms & Treatment

This stage begins once the swelling and inflammation are gone, but you still feel pain, stiffness, weakness, or sensitivity in cold and damp weather. If heat makes your pain feel better, then the Pain Relief Liniment is recommended.

This stage begins once the swelling and inflammation are gone, but you still feel aching pain and stiffness. This is because there are still accumulations of stagnant blood and fluids in your elbow that are blocking circulation and blood supply to damaged tissues, creating residual pain, stiffness and weakness. You may actually feel hard nodules like sand in the tissue, indicating accumulation, calcification, and adhesions, which all cause pain, stiffness, and joint instability.

Your elbow may feel more sensitive to the cold and ache in cold and damp weather due to impaired circulation. When you move your elbow you may hear a clicking or popping sound from the tendons and ligaments slipping very slightly in and out of their natural alignment indicating weakness and joint instability, causing chronic pain and a cycle of reinjury. These symptoms are often the result of the elbow not receiving the proper treatment from the outset and over-icing.

Increasing circulation and blood supply to the damaged tissues is vital in treating chronic injuries because tendons and ligaments do not have an extensive direct supply of blood. That is why chronic injuries can be slow to heal. Increasing local circulation also prevents cold and dampness from penetrating the injured area, preventing pain and stiffness.

During this stage it is very important to break up remaining accumulations of blood and fluids, and increase circulation and blood supply to the damaged tissues. By increasing circulation and blood flow in the elbow, then pain and stiffness are relieved, and the tendons and ligaments can strengthen to restore stability.

Massage your elbow with Pain Relief Liniment to relieve pain and stiffness, strongly stimulate circulation and blood flow to damaged tissues, and promote the healing of overstretched tendons and ligaments. Tendon and Ligament Poultice can be used in-between applications.

Persistent, severe, or worsening symptoms should be evaluated by a qualified healthcare professional.