Tennis elbow

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Elbow - side view

Epitrochlear bursitis; Lateral epicondylitis; Epicondylitis - lateral

The goal of treatment is to relieve pain and swelling. Treatment may include:

• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (such as ibuprofen, naproxen or aspirin)
• Local injection of cortisone and an numbing medicine
• Using a splint to keep the forearm and elbow still for 2 to 3 weeks
• Heat therapy
• Physical therapy
• Pulsed ultrasound to break up scar tissue, promote healing, and increase blood flow in the area

To prevent the injury from happening again, a splint may be worn during aggravating activities. Or, you may need to limit certain activities. If the pain persists despite non-surgical treatments, surgery may be necessary.

Most people improve with non-surgical treatment. The majority of those that do have surgery show an improvement in symptoms.

• Recurrence of the injury with overuse
• Rupture of the tendon with repeated steroid injections
• Failure to improve with nonoperative or operative treatment; these may be due to nerve entrapment in the forearm

Apply home treatment (over-the-counter anti-inflammatory analgesics and immobilization) if symptoms are mild or if you have had this disorder before and you know this is what you have.

Call for an appointment with your health care provider if this is the first time you have had these symptoms, or if home treatment does not relieve the symptoms.

Review Date: 09/26/2006
Reviewed By: Andrew L. Chen, M.D., M.S., Orthopedist, The Alpine Clinic, Littleton, NH. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.