Treatment - Tennis elbow

Tennis elbow often gets better without treatment.

The most important thing is to rest your arm and stop doing the activity that causes the problem.

To help with the pain, use a cold compress several times a day. You can also use a bag of frozen peas wrapped in towel.

Tennis elbow can last between 6 months and 2 years. Most people make a full recovery within a year.

Avoiding or changing activities

If you have tennis elbow, stop doing activities that strain the muscles and tendons in your forearm.

If the cause is movement at work, talk to your employer. You may need to change the way you do things until the pain improves.

Painkillers and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)

Taking painkillers may help to ease mild pain caused by tennis elbow. For example, paracetamol.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may help to ease inflammation. For example, ibuprofen.

You can get NSAIDs as:

• tablets
• creams or gels (topical NSAIDs)

Topical NSAIDs can help with musculoskeletal conditions. You put them on the area of the body where you feel the pain. They can reduce inflammation and pain without causing side effects.

Some NSAIDs are only available with a prescription.

Physiotherapy for tennis elbow

Your GP may suggest physiotherapy if your elbow causes ongoing pain.

The physiotherapist may:

• use massage and manipulation to improve blood flow and relieve pain and stiffness
• show you exercises you can do at home
• recommend that you use a brace, strapping, support bandage or splint in the short term

Steroid injections for tennis elbow

Steroids are medicines that contain synthetic versions of the hormone cortisol. Steroid injections are no longer a common treatment for tennis elbow.

But some people with tennis elbow may have steroid injections if it helps them to do physiotherapy. Your doctor gives the injection into the painful area around the elbow. They may numb the area before you have the injection.

Steroid injections give short-term relief. They are not effective over a long time.

If the injections help, you may have 2 to 3 injections in the same area. There may be a 3 to 6 month gap between injections.

PRP injections for tennis elbow

Platelet rich plasma (PRP) injections may be offered to treat tennis elbow if other treatments do not help.

PRP is blood plasma that contains concentrated platelets. Your body uses these to repair damaged tissue.

We are still learning about PRP injections. They may help speed up the healing process in some people. But we do not know how effective the treatment is over time.

You have the injections in hospital.

The doctor:

1. takes a blood sample from you
2. puts the blood in a machine that separates the platelets
3. injects the platelets into the damaged tissue - they may use an ultrasound to see where to do the injection

Surgery for tennis elbow

You may need surgery when tennis elbow causes severe and persistent pain. The surgeon removes the damaged part of the tendon to relieve the pain. The surgeon can use an open or arthroscopic (keyhole) technique.

Recovery after tennis elbow surgery may take several months. Sometimes pain from tennis elbow can continue after surgery.