Tennis Elbow pain - What are my options?

If you’re like 50 percent of American adults, you’ve experienced elbow pain. For some, it’s a dull ache on the outside of the elbow, but for others, it makes everyday tasks into ordeals. When you have severe elbow pain, even lifting your arm to drink coffee or gripping a shopping bag can be incredibly painful.

More likely than not, you’re suffering from a condition called tennis elbow. You’re not alone. In fact, tennis elbow is so common that it is sometimes referred to as a rite of passage to middle age. Don’t be misled by the name—only a small percentage of people diagnosed with tennis elbow actually get it from playing tennis. Instead, tennis elbow is an overuse injury caused by repetitive stresses to the elbow, which can come from any number of activities, from hammering to lifting heavy boxes.

In more than 90 percent of cases, tennis elbow can be treated with a structured home therapy program or physical therapy. However, for a small percentage of people, the pain will persist. If your pain lasts more than six months, it’s time to consider other options. Luckily, there are a variety of treatments available, both surgical and nonsurgical. Of these options, minimally invasive arthroscopic surgery is one of the most effective.

Arthroscopic surgery involves less damage to the healthy tissue and a faster return to your everyday activities.

You can go home the same day, and you can go back to using your elbow again within days in some cases.

Not all surgeons are trained to treat tennis elbow through arthroscopic surgery. If you are struggling with elbow pain, please reach out to us! We will discuss your treatment options, both surgical and nonsurgical. Relief is closer than you might think.