I have a throbbing pain in my elbow that comes and goes. it's quite painful, and i did not injure my arm nor have tennis elbow. what could cause this?

Many things are part: Of the elbow, thus many things can hurt too. Bone, tendon, joint, nerve, blood vessel, skin all can be a source of pain. Tendonitis is a common cause, as is ligament or joint irritation . But the take home answer is anything that gets a nerve supply ( which is everything) can be a source of pain. Hand surgeons can offer diagnosis & rx for this very complex region.