Tennis Elbow

Officially known as lateral epicondylitis, tennis elbow is a common condition that results in pain and inflammation within the tendons of the elbow. The symptoms include pain when bending or lifting the arm, difficulty straightening the arm, pain that radiates between the arm and the wrist, or a loss of arm strength or grip.

Individuals between the ages of 30-60, especially those with jobs, hobbies or who play sports that involve repetitive wrist motions, gripping or arm strain. Despite the name, only a small number of people get tennis elbow from playing tennis.

What causes tennis elbow?

Tennis elbow is caused by an overload injury of a tendon on the outside of the elbow… it is not an injury to the joint itself. The tendon, attached to the outer part of the elbow, helps to stabilize the wrist when using your hand or gripping something. When the load on the tendon exceeds what it can recover from, the tendon experiences microscopic damage. Over time, this damage degenerates the tendon and results in pain around the outside of the elbow.

What are my treatment options for tennis elbow?

The most common conservative treatment for tennis elbow is to discontinue the activity causing the pain. In addition, pain medications, resting or icing the elbow, exercises or physical therapy to strengthen the elbow and corticosteroid injections are other options.

In some cases, surgery is recommended, depending on the condition of the elbow. Open tendon repair, tendon reconstruction and arthroscopic tendon repair are surgical options used to treat this condition.

Tennis Elbow Treatments at VISA Vascular

At VISA, we offer a non-surgical option to treat tennis elbow called transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE). Instead of surgery to repair the tendon, our interventional radiologists perform TAE to reduce abnormal blood flow to the tendon, reducing pain and inflammation.

For more information about tennis elbow treatment and other treatment options offered by VISA, please visit our treatments page or contact us today to schedule a consultation.

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