Tennis Elbow Treatment and Prevention
Medical Author: Melissa Conrad Stoppler, MD
Medical Editor: William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR
Tennis elbow is usually easily diagnosed by a physical examination. Up to 90% of cases can be remedied by nonsurgical treatments, and symptoms usually diminish within four to six weeks with appropriate treatment.
Treatment goals include pain relief and prevention of symptom recurrence. Initial treatments may include application of ice packs to the elbow and use of anti-inflammatory medications (such as ibuprofen) for pain relief. Later, braces or wrist splints may be recommended along with range of motion exercises and other forms of physical therapy. Corticosteroidinjections in the elbow area can be beneficial in more serious cases of tennis elbow. When performing activities that put the elbow at risk, a tennis elbow strap can often be helpful to prevent reinjury.
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