What causes elbow pain?

There are several factors that can lead to elbow pain. More often than not, deterioration over time from overuse is the most common cause. One condition that stems from overuse is arthritis, which inflames the elbow after the cartilage that holds the joint together wears down. Lateral epicondylitis, or “tennis elbow”, is also caused by overuse through common arm movements while performing daily or sporting activities.
Golfer’s elbow, like tennis elbow, is caused by overusing tendons and soft tissue surrounding the joint through many activities that require throwing, using a racket, weight training and golf. While pain from tennis elbow is felt outside of the elbow, the inner elbow experiences pain in golfer’s elbow. Deterioration can happen gradually over time to cause elbow pain, but joint injury and infection can factor into the pain as well as aging, family history or obesity.

How is elbow pain typically treated?

Elbow conditions are usually treated with in-home remedies such as ice packs, physical therapy, anti-inflammatory medication and rest. This can work on milder cases, but for serious elbow injuries, aggressive forms of treatment are sought out, starting with using a brace or splint to prevent the joint from being damaged any further. If the damage is too severe, the patient may need elbow surgery or steroid injections. However, while cortisone shots provide temporary pain relief, they can weaken ligaments and tendons until they have deteriorated, causing even greater harm to the elbow.

What can Appalachian Rejuvenation do for you?

PRP therapy contains many growth factors that work to reduce inflammation in elbow conditions and promote the body’s ability to naturally heal itself. Patients who have used PRP to treat elbow pain have healed at a far more effective rate compared to those who have used cortisone shots. Compared to the short-term results that cortisone provides, PRP is a long-lasting solution that assists the body in healing injuries and reinforces the body’s healing mechanism to make the recovery process for future conditions far easier. Amniotic allograft injections can also assist you in taking care of inflammation or tissue damage in your elbows.

What are the benefits of PRP treatment?

Using regenerative medicine to treat elbow pain can repair damaged cells, speed up the body’s recovery process and stimulate cellular production. While surgery, medication and cortisone shots can further complicate elbow injuries, the goal of PRP therapy is to relieve pain by healing damaged tissue. Rather than risking the possibility of facing complications from more aggressive forms of treatment, PRP provides lasting results and preserves the patient’s elbow tissue. PRP therapy is pain-free and doesn’t require a formal surgical procedure.

Contact us to learn more about how Appalachian Rejuvenation can use regenerative medicine to help alleviate elbow pain.