I use a computer every day. The way I use it has me sitting at a table with my hands on a keyboard and my elbows bent. Recent physical therapy for upper arm pain has me thinking about elbows.
Boy Scouts tend to put their hand on an old woman's arm just above her elbow to help her across the street. We were coached to help old ladies across the street regardless of their desire to be on the other side. Just help her - that was our watchword. In scholastic wrestling, there are three periods: standing and facing your opponent, kneeling beside your opponent, and reversing that position.
You can see the upper man has his hand on his opponent's elbow. If he can keep his hand on that elbow, he can pretty well control his opponent's use of that arm. We have lots of attention to human hands but if you try going through a day of more or less normal activity without bending either arm at the elbow, you can quickly develop deep respect for that joint. It is quite difficult, for instance, to bring food to your mouth without bending your elbow. Yes, four legged animals manage and we can, too, but not with our usual table manners.
Much desk work requires bent elbows and they can be handy for putting a hand below the jaw and leaning on an elbow propped on a table or bar. Too much leaning and a person can develop a sore elbow.
We speak of elbowing through a crowd. The upper arm bone, powered by chest and back muscles can be a powerful weapon. When I seize you from the back, you may give me a strong blow with your elbow in the sternum , the bony joint between my rib cages, knocking the breath out of me. A good wrestler on my high school team developed a cracked sternum, which he said was painful and bothersome until it healed.
We used to hear more about elbow grease, a term for rubbing or wiping with a rag vigorously. Older people have respect for the knee joint, which is sensitive and fundamental in walking and moving around but don't underestimate the value of a good elbow.
