Regenerative Treatment for Tennis Elbow and Golfer’s Elbow

• Rest the arm. It is observed that resting the arm helps to relief pain.
• Application of ice pack. Ice application helps to reduce pain by reducing the inflammation. Ice packs must be applied several times in a day. A thin cloth can be applied over the ice pack especially when the ice pack is very cold.
• Compression bands. A well fitted compression band can be wrapped around the injured joint to relief symptoms and to provide rest to the affected joint. The compression bands must not be tightened very hard as it may hinder blood supply.
• Massage. Massaging the affected arm gently can help to reduce inflammation, stiffness, and swelling.
• Application of heat. Some people having tennis/golfer’s elbow claim that application of heat helps to relief pain.
• Taking pain-killers. In cases where pain become unbearable doctors may suggest some non-steroidal ant-inflammatory drugs to manage symptoms. However, taking pain-killers is just a temporary method to manage pain and one must not be dependent on them.

Elbow injury is very common in sportsmen or in people who repeatedly use their hand, wrist and arm. When the tendons damage beyond body’s ability to repair Medica Stem Cell procedures, which involves Regenerative Treatment, is likely to be an excellent treatment option for conditions that cause pain in the elbows.

Several studies done recently have shown the effectiveness of Platelet Rich Plasma or PRP in treating damaged ligaments and tendons of the elbow.

It is seen that Platelet Rich Plasma not only manages the symptoms of elbow injury efficiently but also promotes healing of the inflamed or injured tendons.

A lot of people who undergo surgery continue to experience numbness, tenderness, or reduced range of movement or reduced function. Also, the surgery has very painful post-operative recovery, which needs to be followed by rehabilitation to restore the mobility of the joint. Unlike, conventional treatment, Regenerative Treatment is a one-day procedure with minimal pain and no rehabilitation is required for the joints to regain their mobility.

The non-surgical Regenerative Treatment procedures are the following:

   • Prolotherapy
   • Platelet-rich plasma – PRP therapy
   • Mesenchymal cell therapy
   • Stromal vascular fraction therapy or SVF

In certain conditions, a combination of treatment may be the treatment protocol. However, in few cases a series of injection is administered in several treatment sessions. The choice of treatment depends on the condition and severity of it and is at the discretion of the Consultant.

Regenerative Treatments are minimally invasive, non-surgical, same day procedures. There is no risk of rejection with minimal recovery time. You are fully awake during the procedure and travel home within a few hours after the injections are administered in the affected area.

The benefits of Regenerative treatment are the following:

Unlike, surgery there is no risk or complications. Regenerative Treatment is a minimal-invasive procedure and does not require administration of general anaesthesia or lengthy recovery time. Generally, no post-operative pain medication is required. The patient can resume work within a week after the procedure.

Minimal post-procedural recovery time. Contrary to surgery the Regenerative Treatment requires minimal time to recover after the procedure. There is far less risk involved in Regenerative Treatment than surgery.

No general anaesthesia. Anaesthesia causes anxiety in many people. In Regenerative Treatment a topical anaesthesia is used thus there is no side-effects usually felt after.

Regenerative Treatments help body’s own natural ability to repair itself without the use of any medication.

The best thing about Regenerative Therapy is that it is a same day procedure.

Safe procedure with no risk of rejection and contraction of any disease. Since, the procedure involves autologous transplant (taken form your own body and injected back into your own body) there is no rejection from the immune system making it safe and preventing any signs of rejection. The donor and recipient are the same so there is no risk of contracting or transmitting any infectious diseases.

However, there is minute risk of infection at the site of sample collection and injection site. The risk of infection is minimized by carrying the procedure under strict sterile condition.

Regenerative Treatment is a same day procedure and usually, takes few hours to complete. No general anaesthesia is administered and mostly no post-operative pain medication is required. Patient can travel home after the treatment is done. The therapy is an orthobiological treatment, and requires time for the cells to restore the damaged areas of the elbow. Most patients start to see the signs of improvement in the form of reduced pain and increased mobility of the joints within a few weeks.

Regenerative Treatment releases strong anti-inflammatory agents and growth factors which reduced inflammation and hence pain. The pain usually reduces within 4 weeks after the treatment.

After 2-3 months a gradual improvement is seen as the cells begin to provide a healing effect in the affected area.

Regular follow-ups are conducted by the consultant either in person or over the phone for a period of up to 6 months. During these reviews the consultant, asks about the improvement you feel which is then compared with the starting point that was taken before the procedure started.

The final outcome of the treatment and improvement varies from one person to another depending on age, type and severity of the condition etc.

Regenerative treatment is very helpful for people who do not respond to drug treatment. It also reduces the reliance on medication. The consultant will decide if you are a candidate for the Regenerative Treatment after assessing your medical records and history.