Treating tennis elbow

Tennis elbow is a self-limiting condition, which means it will eventually get better without treatment.

However, it can often last for several weeks or months, becausetendons heal slowly. In some cases,tennis elbow can persist for more than a year.

Anumber of simple treatmentscan help alleviatethe pain of tennis elbow. The most important thing you can do is rest your injured armand stop doing the activity that caused the problem (see below).

Holding a cold compress, such as a bag of frozen peas wrapped in a towel, against your elbow for a few minutes several times a day can help ease the pain.

Invasive treatments, such as surgery, will usually onlybe considered in severe and persistent cases of tennis elbow, where non-surgical approaches have not been effective.

The various treatments fortenniselboware outlined below. You can also read a summary of the pros and cons of the treatments fortennis elbow , allowing you to compare your treatment options.

Avoiding or modifying activities

If you have tennis elbow, you should stop doing activities thatstrainaffected muscles and tendons.

If you use your armsat work to carry out manual tasks, such as lifting, you may need to avoid these activities until the pain in your arm improves.

Alternatively, you may be able to modify the way you perform these types ofmovements so they do not place strain on your arm.

Talk toyour employer about avoiding or modifying activities that couldaggravate your arm and make thepain worse.

Painkillers and NSAIDs

Taking painkillers, such as paracetamol , and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) , such as ibuprofen , may help easemild pain and inflammation caused by tennis elbow.

As well as tablets, NSAIDs are alsoavailable as creams and gels (topical NSAIDs). They are applied directly to a specific area of your body, such as your elbow and forearm.

Topical NSAIDsare often recommended for musculoskeletal conditions, such astennis elbow, rather than anti-inflammatory tablets. This is because they can reduce inflammation and pain without causing side effects, such as nausea and diarrhoea .

Some NSAIDs are availableover the counter without a prescription, whileothers are only available on prescription. YourGP or pharmacist will be able to recommend a suitableNSAID.

Physiotherapists are healthcare professionals who use a variety of methodsto restore movement to injured areas of the body.

Yourphysiotherapist mayuse manual therapy techniques, such as massage and manipulation, to relieve pain and stiffness, and encourage blood flow to your arm. They can also show you exercises you can doto keep your arm mobile and strengthen your forearm muscles.

The use ofan orthoses such asa brace, strapping, support bandage or splint may also be recommended in theshort term.

However, there is limited clinical evidence to support their use as aneffective treatment for tennis elbow.

Corticosteroids are a type of medication that contain man-made versions of the hormone cortisol.

Corticosteroid injections may helpreduce the pain of tennis elbowin the short term, but their long-term effectiveness has been shown to bepoor.

The injection will be made directly into the painful area around your elbow.Before you have the injection, you may be given a local anaesthetic to numb the areato reduce the pain.

Shock wave therapy

Shock wave therapy is a non-invasive treatment, where high-energy shock waves are passed through the skin to help relieve pain and promote movementin theaffected area.

How many sessions you will needdepends on the severity ofyour pain. Youmay havealocal anaestheticto reduce any pain or discomfort during the procedure.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) states thatshock wave therapy is safe, although it can cause minor side effects, including bruising and reddening ofskin in the area being treated.

Researchshows that shock wave therapy canhelp improve the pain of tennis elbow in some cases. However, it may not work in all cases, andfurther research is needed.

Surgery

Surgery may be recommended as a last resort treatment incases wheretennis elbow is causing severe and persistent pain. The damaged part of the tendon will be removed to relieve the painful symptoms.