Many people develop tennis elbow due to repetitive strain on the elbow. Tennis arm also called lateral epicondylitis is a common ailment among athletes and patients whose jobs involve lifting heavy loads. The condition may cause pain to extend from the elbow to the wrist.
Patients have regularly been treated through over-the-counter drugs, the application of cold packs, and exercise therapy shockwave. Recently, PRP therapy has emerged as a very popular form of effective treatment for tennis elbow. A study suggests that (PRP) Platelet-rich plasma treats tennis elbow conditions better compared to corticosteroid shots.
What is PRP Therapy?
PRP therapy is a safe, unique, and effective procedure used to heal tennis elbow pain. Platelet-rich plasma therapy involves patients’ injection of a concentration of their platelets to quicken the healing of injured muscles, joints, and ligaments. A patient’s healing system is used in PRP injections to improve musculoskeletal issues.
The therapy involves the separation of a patient’s blood into red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelet-rich plasma. The separation of the plasma from the cells is done in a centrifuge and then injected into a patient’s injured tissues. An imaging ultrasound scan is often used as guidance for the injection.
PRP Therapy as a Tennis Elbow Treatment
Elbow tendonitis conventional treatments may not be effective and your physician might recommend PRP therapy for better results. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) has been shown to speed up the healing process, and PRP injections for tennis elbow have become one of the most used treatments. PRP therapy utilizes a patient’s natural healing process to repair injured tissue.
There are proteins also known as growth factors found in platelet-rich plasma that assist the healing of the elbow muscle and subsequently ease the pain. According to a research, tennis elbow patients who got PRP therapy improved by 71 percent in up to 24 weeks, compared to 56 percent in the control group. PRP has a reduced chance of side effects because it is made from the patient’s blood.
PRP therapy for lateral epicondylitis utilizes a three-injection procedure. Three injections attain greater results compared to single or double injections. However, the severity of your tennis elbow condition may result in more injections.
PRP Therapy for Tennis Elbow Recovery Time
PRP-treated patients should expect pain relief at 3-4 weeks in the first session and anticipate major improvements at 6 weeks. Nonetheless, a patient’s healing rate may vary from the other since some patients’ reaction to PRP is better than others. The healing rate may also differ depending on the severity of and duration of the condition.
Full recovery might take 4 to 6 months depending on a patient’s repairing abilities. Tendons have a rather poor blood supply causing a prolonged healing period.
Why Choose PRP Therapy?
Platelet-rich-plasma therapy is now a popular regenerative medicine effective in healing the tennis elbow. PRP treatment for lateral epicondylitis has various benefits. PRP therapy is a convenient and rapid in-office process that offers a long-term cure to tennis elbow pain. PRP treatment uses your blood, so there is minimal risk of rejection by your immune system, and no non-natural is introduced into your body.
Bottom Line
PRP treatment for tennis elbow contains a soothing effect on tissue soreness. PRP injections stimulate the discharge of anti-inflammatory growth hormone that boosts muscle regeneration. PRP therapy affects collagen synthesis which has a major role in healing the damaged tendon.
PRP therapy is a game-changer in the medical field assisting to address joint pain without opting for surgery. PRP Therapy for Tennis Elbow is a viable treatment for your tennis elbow condition. Please fill out the form below to contact our team.