How Is This Condition Often Treated?
How Is This Condition Often Treated?
For over 90% of patients, non-operative treatment is successful to address the pain and weakness of tennis elbow. These options typically include a combination of the following:
- Lifestyle modification (including technique adjustments and rest)
- Changing Stroke Mechanics and Racquet (in cases of regular tennis players)
- Anti-Inflammatory Medications (these can be used to control pain and inflammation)
- Cortisone Injections (these can reduce pain in the case that more conservative methods fail)
- Elbow Braces (these can help to reduce the use of the injured muscles during healing)
- Exercise (strengthening the related muscles can help to prevent re-injury)
In most cases, some combination of the above treatment options, guided by a sports medicine physician, can be effective to treat tennis elbow.
In very rare cases, however, a surgical treatment approach may be necessary. Lateral epicondylitis surgery involves the removal of the damaged tendon and repair of the remaining tendon to the bone. This surgical procedure is usually successful, although it is rarely needed.