Tennis Elbow
Don't let the name fool you. Even if you've never played a game of tennis in your life, it's still possible to develop a tennis elbow. The name can sometimes be a little deceptive. If you're suffering from this condition, it's likely the result of repetitive motion. Since tennis is definitely a game that involves repetitive motion, many professional and avid New York tennis players require tennis elbow treatments.
Without proper treatment, the elbow pain and discomfort can force you to give up the job or activity that's the source of your pain and trouble. But don't give it up just yet. Thanks to the many advances in tennis elbow treatment, lasting relief is possible through your sports medicine and pain management doctor in Manhattan.
Tennis Elbow NYC — SPIN Sports Pain Specialists
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The sport has become associated with the condition. The medical name for tennis elbow, which is difficult to remember, is lateral epicondylitis. And it can be the result of any job or activity that involves repetitive motion, such as work done by:
- Assembly line workers
- Butchers and cooks
- Painters
- Musicians
- Carpenters
Breaking It Down
To fully understand your condition and the ways that lateral epicondylitis treatment can help, think of your body as one big machine. Even the smallest parts of your body have unique jobs. And they all have to work together as a whole. Many of these different functions are so natural that you've probably never given them a second thought — until they became a problem.
Tennis elbow is a painful and frustrating condition, caused when the tissues that connect your forearm to your elbow are overused and become irritated. You're not alone. Millions of people in the United States suffer from tennis elbow. Most seek treatment for lateral epicondylitis. Your tennis elbow can cause:
Most conditions that result from overuse have various grades and severity. Someone else with tennis elbow may experience completely different symptoms than you do. Different symptoms require different tennis elbow treatments. It's up to your doctor to develop a course of action for you.
Ready to find relief from tennis elbow?
Dr. Melepura's Midtown Manhattan clinic offers same-day appointments for evaluation and treatment.
Lateral Epicondylitis Treatment Is Individualized
Treatment for tennis elbow typically starts out with home remedies. If they work, you're out of pain and have no need to continue. If they don't work, the methods gradually increase in strength to get you relief. Treatments for tennis elbow include:
- Lots of rest to ease pain and give your body a chance to recover
- Ice packs to reduce swelling
- Anti-inflammatory medications for swelling and to ease your discomfort
- Counterforce braces that consist of a strap that you wear around your forearm, just under your elbow
- Physical therapy, the preferred treatment for tennis elbow that can also keep it from recurring
- Activity modifications such as:
- Adjusting how you do an activity
- Changing the equipment you use
- Setting up your workspace differently
Cortisone injections typically are used in tennis elbow treatment if you're still experiencing pain after several weeks of rest and rehab. But while corticosteroids relieve your pain, the results are temporary. And since they can damage your tendon, these injections are used sparingly. Ultrasound therapy can be effective for reducing your discomfort and helping your tendon heal without the same side effects.
Additional Tennis Elbow Treatments
Plasma-rich injections also provide your New York City doctor with options that rely on your own body to provide effective lateral epicondylitis treatment. Surgery is a last resort and often involves:
Cutting your tendon
Removing damaged tissue
Possibly both cutting your tendon and removing damaged tissue
In some cases, it's possible to repair tears to your tendon during surgery, but less invasive tennis elbow treatments are always preferable. Fewer than 5 out of every 100 people that have tennis elbow undergo surgery. But if you've been in pain for six months or more, your specialist may opt for surgery.
Start Living Again
Lateral epicondylitis treatment is a matter of when and how. Ignoring your pain doesn't help you feel better. The longer you live in pain, the worse your damage can become. Relief can be as easy as rest and ice. But if your case is more complicated, other methods may be necessary. Your Midtown Manhattan sports medicine specialist can help you decide which tennis elbow treatment is right for you.
If the activities you enjoy or the work that pays your bills have become unbearable because of tennis elbow pain, it can seriously detract from your quality of life. Stop living with pain. Your medical professional has options for you.
Real Stories from our Patients
Dr. Febin Melepura, MD
Double Board-Certified Pain Specialist
Meet Dr. Febin Melepura — Your Tennis Elbow Specialist in NYC
Dr. Febin Melepura, MD is a double board-certified interventional pain management specialist and the founder of the Sports Pain Institute of New York. He completed his residency and fellowship training at New York Presbyterian Hospital / Columbia University Medical Center, one of the nation's leading academic medical centers.
He holds dual board certifications from the American Board of Anesthesiology and the American Board of Pain Medicine, and has treated more than 7,500 patients and performed over 5,250 procedures throughout his career. He has been named a Top Pain Management Doctor in New York and one of America's Top Doctors™ by Castle Connolly.
Dr. Melepura's approach to tennis elbow is rooted in precision: identify the exact source, treat it with a targeted injection, and get you back to your daily life as quickly as possible.
Ready to Book an Appointment?
Same-day appointments available. Call (212) 621-7746 or book online.
What Our Tennis Elbow Patients Say
"Able to make an appointment to see Dr. Melepura on short notice… attentive to my concerns… Jazmin was also very kind and helpful."
"Excellent hospitality, listener and explainer… highly recommend the doctor and the place."
"Dr. Melepura is the best! He worked with me to find the optimal solution to my shoulder pain while I was preparing for a fight!"
"Lovely, bright and modern… doctor and staff were kind… felt my concerns were heard."
"Helpful and friendly staff who gladly follows up with you if and when needed. Dr Melepura was very helpful and professional as well as provided me with excellent information and feedback."
"Dr Febin is fantastic! Highly recommend him and his practice the Spin clinic. The doctor is a good listener, kind, attentive and gave me great advice. "
"Dr.Melepura was very efficient and interpersonal, felt like he was understanding the problems I was having and explained the processes to take to rehabilitate. I would recommend."
"I felt listened to and truly understood by Dr. Melepura. Started PT the very next day. They were very friendly and I didn't feel rushed at all. Already recommended them to my friends who have or continue to play through pain."