Students elbow

Students elbow  or olecranon bursitis is the most common source of acute or chronic pain at the back of your elbow.

Pain may also be experienced all the way down the back of your forearm. There may also be considerable swelling in the elbow, which can sometimes be large enough to restrict motion.

Pain typically increases when leaning on the affected elbow or when bending and straightening the elbow. In less severe cases, an ache or stiffness in the elbow may be experienced at rest following activities that places strain on the bursa. These activities typically include falling on the elbow (particularly on hard surfaces), pushing activities, repetitive use of a hammer or straightening the elbow against resistance. 

Student elbow is an acute or chronic inflammation of a bursa (a fluid filled cushioning sac) located between your elbow straightening (triceps) muscle and the pointy end of your arm bone (your olecranon).

This bursa becomes irritated by placing too much compression pressure on it. This is most often achieved simply by too much leaning on your elbow, hence the name student elbow, or by over working your triceps muscle.

A nerve, called the radial nerve, can also become irritated leading to numbness and tingling in the back of your hand and outer three fingers.