Many people often wonder whether golfers, baseball, or tennis – elbow only affect people that play these sports. For starters, even people that do not play these sports can end up with this painful condition. However, it is quite common among people that play these sports and several other sports. This is because of the way continuous sporting physical activities take their toll on the elbow section of the arm.
Some of the causes of this painful condition include:
- Hitting the ball consistently with a great force: Spin serves can also result in this condition
- Using tennis rackets that are too short, too heavy, and that is strung too tightly
- Muscles and shoulders that are just too short to support the activities performed by the arm at large
- Operating heavy pieces of equipment such as chainsaws with the arm
- Using an ax to chop wood
- Carrying heavy items such as suitcases
Judging from some of the various causes that have been mentioned above, you can see how many people are vulnerable to this condition. For more on this subject, you can visit: https://www.mayoclinic.org/
All these are pointing to the fact that knowledge of this painful condition and how to put an end to it is important. Against this backdrop, you should know that several treatment options can be considered. However, the absolute best has to be chosen.
In deciding which qualifies as the best, you should take note of things such as:
- The possible side effects
- How long-lasting the treatment effects are
- Recovery time
These are some of the things that have to be considered. In light of this, what you might come to realize is that most people are better off with least invasive treatment options. We were deliberate about not saying non-invasive treatment options as non-invasive treatment options may not work (or work well) in all situations.
On this note, the use of certain injection treatments happens to be the least invasive but effective method of addressing the problem. To this end, we will discuss the use of steroid and PRP injection treatment.
Signs Suggesting that You Have Golfers Elbow
Many painful conditions can affect how people feel in their elbow region. Golfers elbow is one of them. Some of the signs that suggest someone has this condition include the following:
Pain & Tenderness
The person feels pain & tenderness internally in this area. It is even possible that the feeling extends to more internal sides of the forearm. The affected person would also notice that the pain heightens when certain movements are made.
Weakness
Other than the pain & tenderness felt in the elbow section, weakness is also felt in areas such as the wrists and hands. This could suggest that the person has this condition.
Stiffness
The ability to do regular things such as forming a fist will prove very difficult. This is because this will be disturbed by a feeling of stiffness.
Tingling or Numbness
Often, this is experienced on the ring finger. However, the little fingers can also be affected. So, these sensations may not just affect one finger but more. If you would like to know more about the other signs that suggest a person has this condition, you can click here.
Injection Treatments for Golfer’s Elbow
Two major injection treatments will be discussed here to address golfer’s elbow. These are:
Steroid Injection
The use of this kind of injection treatment for this purpose is not something new. You should even know that many people eventually find that long-awaited relief using this treatment method. As the name suggests, it involves injecting the affected area with the right kind and amount of steroid.
As mentioned earlier, it has been discovered that this option works for some people. However, it is not without some downsides that make PRP injection the more preferred method (especially) from a medical stance. Some of the downsides in questions include the following:
Short-Lasting Effects
As experienced by many people, the needed relief that steroid injections bring is short-lived. This means that the process has to be repeated more often.
Adverse Effects of Steroids
These steroids have therapeutic effects and this has been established. But be that as it may, you should know that they have their adverse effects. For one, the strength of the tendon is compromised over time when steroids are used.
The Relapse Can be Worse
Because of the short-term effectiveness of the steroids and their adverse effects, the relapse of the condition can be worse. This is because the tendons are now in a worse state than they were before.
PRP (Platelet-Rich Plasma) Injection
Treating this condition using this injection method is amazing. This is because it addresses many of the concerns that come with using the option discussed above. Some of the advantages of this injection treatment method include the following:
Very Little or No Issues with Allergic Reaction
There could be allergic reactions by some people to the use of steroids. This is considering how our bodies are different. However, the chances of this happening with PRP injection are close to null.
The reason is that what is being injected into the affected area is actually from the body. It is a blood sample that is worked upon and most likely gets the desired result.
Positive Effects on the Areas that make up the Elbow
We did explain how steroid injection adversely affects areas such as the tendon while working. Well, it is different with PRP injection. This is considering how it even strengthens and makes these areas healthier and better.
The tendon is an example. The tendon is a vulnerable area to pain and injuries, especially considering how it does not get a healthy supply of blood like many other parts. The use of PRP injection infuses the tendon with a rich amount of important blood components. This will ensure that proteins, nutrients, and blood get to this area.
Wrap Up
In addition to what has been discussed up until this point, you should also know that PRP elbow recovery time is impressive. This is why it should be highly considered by people dealing with this condition.
Other than this, you should also know that PRP injection treatment can help address several other health concerns. Erectile Dysfunction is one other condition it can help with. We suggest that you see a specialist and have the specialist examine and find out if PRP injection should be used.
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