An Alternative to Elbow Surgery

Rheumatoid arthritis

The most common cause of elbow arthritis is rheumatoid arthritis. It affects the joint linings, namely synovia. As the synovia swells, the joint space constricts followed by the gradual destruction of bones and soft tissues.

Osteoarthritis

Next comes osteoarthritis, which affects the cushioned cartilage at the ends of the bones. This cushioned cartilage helps in the smooth movement of the bones. If this cartilage gets destroyed, these bones will rub against each other. Additionally, loose bodies in the joint may accelerate degeneration.

Trauma 

Trauma or accidental injury to your elbow may damage the cartilage and leads to the development of arthritis condition.

• Pain

• Swelling
• Loss of range of motion – an inability to bend or straighten
• Stiffness
• Instability
• Catching/locking
• Bone spurs
• Bone grating
• Numbness in the ring finger and small finger

• Older people
• Mid-aged people who regularly perform strenuous activities such as hammering or shovelling
• People with a history of osteoarthritis or elbow fracture

During the early stage of elbow arthritis due to osteoarthritis, patients follow conservative measures to decrease pain and maintain elbow functioning.

Activity restriction

Avoid doing any activities that may aggravate the elbow pain. Take enough rest.

Heat

If the elbow joint remains stiff, you can opt for heat pads followed by hot shower since heat helps in loosening joints as well as relaxing stiff muscles.

Splints and Braces

You can use customized resting splints and braces to help reduce swelling as well as provide support to your elbow.

NSAIDs administration

Your physician may prescribe NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) to reduce pain, inflammation, and swelling. But the long-term usage of NSAIDs in high doses may lead to complications such as gastrointestinal bleeding, gastric ulcers, as well as kidney damage [1]. Hence physicians do not recommend its consumption every day for a prolonged duration.

Corticosteroid injections

When all the above trials prove to be ineffective, physicians recommend a corticosteroid injection to get relief from pain. However, this relief is temporary, and the arthritis condition will continue to progress. They have potential side effects such as infection and skin degeneration at the elbow region [2].

Viscosupplementation (Hyaluronic acid injection)

Injection of hyaluronic acid into the joint may improve the quantity of joint fluid condition that enhances the range of motion. But it has a limited role in the elbow joints and requires further research to determine whether this injection is beneficial.

Surgery

If non-surgical interventions are unable to control symptoms, your physician may recommend surgical options such as synovectomy (removal of damaged synovium), arthroscopy (removal of damaged cartilage), osteotomy (removal of bone sections) and arthroplasty (elbow joint replacement) depending upon the stage of damage to your elbow joints. But many patients continue to experience symptoms such as tenderness, numbness, or limited range of motion post-operation. Post-surgical recovery can be painful, followed by a prolonged rehabilitation phase to restore your elbow strength and mobility.

Here comes regenerative cellular treatment that can be a potential alternative to elbow surgery in most instances. 

Regenerative cellular therapies are safe, minimally invasive, non-surgical same day procedures with minimal recovery time accompanied by no risk of rejection or disease transmission. You will be fully awake and can travel home within a few hours after undergoing regenerative treatment. This next-generation therapy improves your quality of life by starting the natural self-healing cycle at the injured body part, regenerating tissue, followed by permanent pain relief.

Regenerative cellular therapeutic options such as PRP (Platelet-Rich Plasma) therapy, prolotherapy, SVF (Stromal Vascular fraction) therapy and mesenchymal cell therapy proves to be efficient for treating several types of arthritis. They successfully treat the cause of elbow pain and not just the symptoms. Recent research studies have shown the efficiency of PRP therapy in treating elbow bones, ligaments, and tendon issues.

For elbow arthritis treatment, it is better to employ regenerative cellular treatment earlier so that it can significantly reverse varied types of joint impairments and symptoms.

It is always said, ‘No pain, no gain’. But when our holistic regenerative therapy is there, you can still gain without pain. So, get back on track without steroids or surgery!