Tennis elbow (or lateral epicondylitis) is an elbow tendinopathy, or problem with tendons around the elbow.  Tendons are the portion of a muscle/tendon unit that attaches to bone for the muscle to exert its function.   Lateral epicondylitis can cause elbow pain, especially with overuse from playing sports which utilize holding/swinging a racket or paddle like tennis and pickleball.  Unfortunately, there aren’t any sure fire treatment options available to quickly solve this problem.  PRP is a treatment option you should consider if you’ve been experiencing persistent pain despite trying rest/therapy/anti-inflammatory medications/cortisone injections.

Platelets can be found in blood and are instrumental in healing processes because they can release a number of growth factors and proteins.  PRP is blood plasma with a high concentration of platelets resulting from techniques designed to concentrate platelets from a patient’s own blood serum.

PRP injections have been shown in some studies to be a more effective treatment modality than cortisone for certain tendinitis problems, including lateral epicondylitis.  PRP therapy can also reduce pain and inflammation in joints, especially in patients with radiographically mild or moderate arthritis.

At Michele Y. Yoon, M.D., PLLC, PRP therapy is a safe procedure provided in the medical office with very little risk.  We utilize each patient’s own blood for the procedure, process it to optimize the concentration of platelets, and inject the PRP back to the same patient’s injured area at the same visit to stimulate their own body to heal.

If your tennis or pickleball elbow is persistently bothering you, call (847) 957-4183 today to schedule your PRP/orthobiologics consultation with Dr. Michele Yoon.  At Michele Y. Yoon, M.D., PLLC, our goal is to get you back to playing a better tennis and pickleball game.