Tennis elbow is a condition in which your elbow tendons, where your forearm meets your elbow, become inflamed. It occurs when you overuse the tendons in your forearm. Only a small group of patients actually develop it from playing tennis.
Despite the name, most patients with tennis elbow are everyday workers. In fact, you’re more likely to develop tennis elbow if you work in the following professions:
Certain hobbies can also cause tennis elbow, like playing an instrument. Because repeatedly using the same muscles puts stress on them. Over time, it can strain your tendons and cause many small tears.
Another risk factor is age. Tennis elbow affects patients between the ages of 30 and 50.
The main symptom of tennis elbow is pain. You may experience mild pain at first, but it worsens as you use your arm. As your pain gets worse, you may have a burning feeling and weakness in your arm. If you use your arm a lot and notice pain and weakness, contact Dr. Bennet.
During your appointment, Dr. Bennet checks your range of motion and pain. If you experience a lot of pain, he orders imaging tests.
Most cases of tennis elbow resolve with ice, rest, and over-the-counter (OTC) medication. Dr. Bennet may also give you a brace for support and pain relief. Physical therapy can help strengthen your muscles. It encourages faster healing as it improves blood flow to your tendons.
Dr. Bennet also offers platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections for tennis elbow. It’s made from your own blood sample and relieves inflammation while speeding up recovery.
Severe cases of tennis elbow may need surgery, but it’s rare — 80%-95% of patients don’t need surgery. Our team does everything we can to treat your injury without surgery.
When traditional treatment options fail, Dr. Bennet turns to Tenex Health TX™ for tennis elbow. This minimally invasive procedure is fast and safe, and it works great for treating soft tissue injuries.
Tenex Health TX uses ultrasound technology to find your damaged tissue. Dr. Bennet then makes a very small incision and inserts a tool that removes your damaged tissue with high-frequency vibrations.
The incision is so small that it only needs a bandaid to cover it. It takes less than 30 minutes to perform and you can drive yourself home after.
If you have tennis elbow and it’s interfering with your daily routine, it’s time to visit Dr. Bennet. To schedule your appointment, use our online booking tool or give one of our offices a call.
