Tennis Elbow Treatment
Tennis elbow is a painful condition that affects the outside (lateral) epicondyle tendon. It is often caused by repetitive movement of the wrist and forearm.
It usually goes away on its own after a period of rest. However, if over-the-counter pain medications or other self-care measures don’t relieve symptoms, your doctor may recommend treatment.
Cortisone Injections
Cortisone injections can be used to treat tennis elbow, also known as lateral epicondylitis. It can affect people of all ages, and most often occurs in those who play tennis or other racket sports.
However, a recent study suggests that these shots may not be as beneficial over the long term. Instead, a number of studies have shown that the effects of these shots fade quickly and the pain can return in as little as one year.
The best treatment is a combination of physiotherapy and activity modification. This includes rest from activities that aggravate your elbow. If this doesn’t help, an ultrasound guided steroid injection or platelet rich plasma (PRP) therapy can improve your symptoms and get you back to the activities you enjoy.
Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) Injections
PRP injections are a minimally invasive treatment that uses your body’s own blood to treat injuries and pain. Platelets, which are a type of white blood cell, contain growth factors that can speed up healing.
Your doctor collects blood, spins it in a centrifuge, and isolates the plasma that contains concentrated platelets. This plasma is then injected into the area that has been damaged. 테니스엘보 치료
The plasma also helps reduce inflammation and promotes healing. In addition, the procedure is minimally invasive and takes only one to two hours.
Studies have shown that patients who receive PRP injections tend to feel a significant reduction in pain after the procedure. This is especially true in younger people who have been diagnosed with tennis elbow.
Physical Therapy
The best physical therapists understand that tennis elbow treatment should focus on rehabilitating your arm muscles and tendons to restore strength and flexibility. The goal is to reduce pain and improve blood flow to the tendons, which don’t receive the same blood and oxygen supply as your other muscle groups do.
A physical therapist will work with you to modify your movements and activities so they don’t contribute to your tennis elbow. They’ll also show you exercises to stretch and strengthen your arm muscles.
This can include eccentric exercise, which involves lowering your wrist slowly after you raise it. Eccentric exercises can also help increase the flexibility of your wrist and forearm muscles, reducing stress on the painful tendon.
Physical therapists can also recommend counterforce braces that lessen the strain on your elbow. These may be particularly helpful if your work or sport requires repetitive movement.
Surgery
If you have tennis elbow and have tried all non-surgical treatment options, your doctor may recommend surgery. This is a common option for patients who haven’t responded to six to 12 months of conservative treatments.
The most common surgical procedure for tennis elbow is a minimally invasive endoscopic (keyhole) excision. It is less traumatic to the muscles and ligaments of the elbow than open procedures, which require long incisions.
Your doctor may recommend arthroscopic surgery for more severe cases of tennis elbow. In this method, a small cut is made in the affected tendon and a chip of bone is removed.
The arthroscopic surgery also allows the surgeon to release the tendon closest to the elbow, resulting in no loss of grip strength and a quicker return to sports and work. However, if the tennis elbow is very large or has serious damage to the tissue, an open tendon repair may be recommended.