Tennis Elbow: Treatment for Damaged Tendons Without Surgery

Lateral epicondylitis, known as tennis elbow, is pain on the outside of the elbow. This condition occurs when repetitive motions cause damage to a tendon attached to the bone. Rashard Dacus, MD, explains tennis elbow and treatment options at UVA, including physical therapy and cortisone injections.

We see tennis elbow in people that are having to grip with a power grip over time, repetitively. And it is kind of a pulling away of that tendon from the bone. It happens over a prolonged period of time.

Your body is trying to heal itself, and it can’t because it’s not able to rest. The treatment options always start with activity modifications and rest.

I think if we can rest overuse scenarios, they tend to get better. The problem is it’s hard to do that for a lot of people, and so we incorporate things like a wrist brace. The other things I think are physical therapy. I think therapy helps eliminate the pain, and then improve your mobility and ultimately get your strength back.

There are definitely different levels of severity. There are the very mild things that a splint takes care of. There are some people who necessitate an injection, so a cortisone injection, and that can be quite helpful in pain relief.

The important thing is that you have to continue to work on the rehabilitation, or the symptoms will come back. There has been some research that we’ve done here at UVA looking at things like ultrasound treatment for tennis elbow. We’re still kind of gathering some data on that. I think it works for some people but not for all.

And so we’re really trying to hone in on what’s the best way to treat this. Do people need surgery for this? Is there a way to treat it without surgery? And if so, how can we get people back quickly, and so a lot of our rehabilitation protocol are evolving as well to try and get people back as quickly as possible.

[johnnykronos]

Have been living with tennis elbow on and off for 20 years. It makes life miserable when working and can't do any weight training for any length of time. Even small things like brushing my teeth has been hard. I would much prefer a broken bone....

[Gnarmarmilla]

Thank you very much for sharing this information. I just picked up this debilitating condition while climbing rope and managing my equipment as a climbing arborist.
I must say, I get a little troubled thinking how this will prevent me from having a career as an arborist so I really hope to find the help I need to heal.
Mine was starting to get better and it is now, but I made it way worse when I went to uproot some bamboo plants to transfer to our yard with my son. I was so excited to get the bamboo I was yanking and pulling it up with great enthusiasm and when the job was done I was in pain and the injury was worse.
Really have to be careful to stay off of it.

[uckyouyoutube]

I have a partial tear of the common extensor and common flexor tendons in my elbow. I wonder what treatment there is. If I hadn't had an MRI due to a non healing ulcer, I would never have known about the partial tears. I am lucky I'm not in any pain.
There is still three weeks before my appointment. I am afraid to have surgery. I don't want to wake up with no arm.

[nastazioromanos]

TB500 and BPC157 - and approx. 1 week - done

[Fishburne-_-]

People disliked this video because they see a black doctor