A painful elbow is often the result of tennis elbow. It occurs when the tendons on the exterior side of your elbow become inflamed. And no, you don’t have to play tennis to develop tennis elbow.
Any sport or labor that stresses the extensor carpi radialis brevis (ECRB) in your forearm puts you at risk for tennis elbow. That’s because the ECRB helps stabilize your wrist when you swing or make other forceful motions with your lower arm. Non-tennis players who experience “tennis” elbow include those in professions such as:
Up to 3% of people in the United States experience tennis elbow. The rate’s even higher for athletes. In fact, up to 50% of tennis players have had this injury. If you’re among that percentage, you may wonder how to treat and rehab your injury.
David Lintner, MD — a renowned orthopedic surgeon and the head team physician for the Houston Astros — wants you to get back in the swing of things as soon as possible. At our office at Houston Methodist Orthopedics & Sports Medicine in Houston, Texas, we offer both nonsurgical and surgical treatments for tennis elbow.
The RICE and MEAT protocols are first-line and noninvasive treatments you can try if you suspect you have tennis elbow. Symptoms that suggest you’re dealing with this injury include:
The RICE protocol ( applicable for ACUTE injuries) stands for:
The RICE protocol should be instituted as soon as you feel symptoms.
After a day or two, move to MEAT. This acronym stands for:
If you don’t see an improvement in symptoms, or if your pain is intense, it’s time for other treatments. It’s also important to get an accurate diagnosis because some tennis elbow symptoms are caused by other conditions, including carpal tunnel syndrome.
Corticosteroids are powerful anti-inflammatory treatments that alleviate pain and swelling. However, they should only be used in the short term because long-term use may damage tissues.
For stubborn cases we might inject the steroids directly into the injured tendons and muscles. While you may feel immediate relief, most people get the most benefit within a few days after treatment. To reduce the risks of long-term use, we usually limit steroid treatments to 1-2 times a year.
Your body’s healing powers can be amplified. We offer novel and effective treatments, such as platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and biologic therapies that use “blank-slate” cells, such as mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), to help your body create more blood vessels and rebuild injured tissues.
These therapies may use your own blood and cells or donated components. We may recommend them in combination with other treatments.
Physical therapy (PT) not only helps you recover from your current injury, but it also helps prevent new ones. Your PT specialist evaluates your swing or other movements to identify inefficiencies that may raise your risk for injury.
We’ve also developed extensive protocols for rehabilitating your elbow. These allow you to gradually heal and rebuild your strength so you can return to play or to your daily activities.
Dr. Lintner is an expert in minimally invasive surgeries that repair the injured or torn tendons, ligaments, and muscles that cause tennis elbow. However, tennis elbow often requires mini-open surgery. Thankfully, it is rare to need surgery at all for this problem.
No matter which approach he uses to repair your tennis elbow, he will prescribe PT to aid in your recovery. Your PT specialist designs a rehab and risk-prevention program that matches your goals and lifestyle.
Do you suspect your forearm pain is caused by tennis elbow? Get an accurate diagnosis and treatment plan by contacting our team by phone or online form today. If you live outside of the Houston area, feel free to send Dr. Lintner an MRI for a second opinion or treatment recommendation.
