You want to master the perfect golf swing or tennis backhand, but your elbow just aches too much. Sound familiar? If so, you could have tennis elbow, golfer’s elbow, or any other elbow problem that causes ongoing pain. Instead of ignoring your pain or skipping your favorite activities to avoid discomfort, have you considered exploring non-surgical treatments for elbow pain?

At Bennett Orthopedics and Sportsmedicine in Sarasota, Florida, Dr. Bennett is committed to using non-surgical treatments like PRP to address elbow pain and help his patients restore comfort and range of motion.  takes a much different approach. Here’s what you should know!

Why Does Elbow Pain Occur?

Golfer’s elbow develops from damage caused to the muscles and tendons in control of the wrists and fingers. It is named “golfer’s elbow” since gripping and swinging golf clubs incorrectly, too forcefully, or repetitively, can injure those muscles and tendons.

Tennis elbow occurs for the same reasons. Over time, repeated motions of the arm and wrist create small tears in the tendon that attaches the forearm muscles to the bony portion of the outer elbow. The term “tennis elbow” is frequently used since incorrect tennis technique causes the power in the swing of a racquet to increase pressure on the tendon, trigger irritation and inflammation, and gradually lead to tears in the tendon.

Golfer’s elbow and tennis elbow are known to cause pain and tenderness on the inner side of the elbow, though it sometimes extends along the inner side of the forearm as well. Unfortunately, golfer’s elbow and tennis elbow both impact non-athletic movements as well, including shaking hands, turning a doorknob, holding a cup of coffee, and flexing your wrist.

Traditional Treatments Don’t Address the Root Cause of Elbow Pain

As an board-certified orthopedic surgeon and fellowship-trained elbow expert, Dr. Bennett typically doesn’t recommend cortisone injections for elbow pain. While cortisone can temporarily alleviate discomfort, it does so at the cost of the health of the injured tissue. Cortisone injections have been found to cause sustained damage to the tissue over time, and multiple injections may lead to further deterioration of the tissue and need for surgery. NSAIDS, ice, and compression help minimize pain but unfortunately cannot eliminate the root causes of tennis elbow.

PRP Treatment for Elbow Pain

Platelet rich plasma (PRP) is an innovative regenerative medicine treatment that has successfully been used to heal elbow pain. Since the tendons injured in golfer’s and tennis elbow have poor blood supply, they don’t tend to heal quickly or naturally. Injecting PRP directly  into those tendons triggers healing beyond what the body could achieve by itself. The elbow uses the growth factors and other proteins in PRP to stimulate tissue regeneration and reduce the pain associated with golfer’s and tennis elbow.

If you want to discover the potential for PRP to alleviate pain and heal your golfer’s or tennis elbow, call (941) 229-1648  to make an appointment with Dr. Bennett. Bennett Orthopedics and Sportsmedicine has convenient locations in Sarasota, Venice, and Bradenton, Florida. Dr. Bennett is committed to using the most effective treatments available to help you enjoy your favorite activities again.