Sports Injuries & Tennis Elbow

Every sport is associated with a unique set of risks and depending on the nature of the activity, you may sustain a sprain, a strain, a ligament tear, over-use related joint pain, or even a concussion. But no matter what type of sports injury is sustained, most critical is that you receive a complete and accurate diagnosis to ensure that you receive the most effective treatment available.

For example, prolotherapy is a safe, efficient, and non-surgical way of healing the micro-tears in the fibrous tissue that connects joint capsules, tendons, and ligaments to bone. Many professional athletes have had prolotherapy treatments to treat injuries such as labral tears, rotator cuff injuries, tendinitis, and tennis elbow.

Tennis elbow, or lateral epicondylitis, is a common, yet painful, over-use injury common among tennis players and other athletes. Over time, small tears in the tendon cause pain, inflammation, and soreness on the outside part of the elbow. The elbow may also be sensitive to the touch. In addition to playing tennis and other racquet sports, any repetitive twisting of the wrist or arm (such as using a screwdriver, for example) can result in tennis elbow.

How We Can Help

If you have suffered from a sports injury and would like to return to optimal health without surgery, the Kaplan Center offers a variety of effective, non-surgical treatments. Our physicians have years of experience treating patients with chronic pain conditions and completely reject the notion that you just have to live with it.

At your first visit, your Kaplan physician will take time exploring the onset of your condition, the specific nature of your symptoms and the overall status of your health. You’ll also be asked about the medications and therapies you’ve tried in the past, and what has and hasn’t worked for you. To gather additional information about your condition, specialized diagnostic laboratory testing may be necessary.

After reviewing all of the factors contributing to your condition, your physician will spend time talking with you about your diagnosis and working with you to create a customized and multi-dimensional treatment plan that addresses not only your immediate pain but also any possible underlying or co-existing conditions that may be causing or aggravating your symptoms.

The Kaplan Center specializes in pain management without surgery

Depending on the nature of your injury, your treatment may incorporate a variety of non-surgical therapies, including but not limited to the following:

• Prolotherapy 
• Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy
• Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine
• Acupuncture
• Physical Therapy
• Prescription Medications
• Herbal Remedies

In some situations, surgery might be your best option. If this occurs, we will coordinate with any other medical providers involved in your case and stay the course with you throughout your treatment and recovery plan

Additional Resources:

Article: Platelet-Rich Plasma in Arthroscopy and Sports Medicine Published in The Journal of Arthroscopic and Related Surgery.

Research study: The use of prolotherapy to treat tennis elbow Reported in the American Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.