Orthopedist Questions Tennis Elbow

How long does it take for tennis elbow to heal?

I am a 27 year old female and I have tennis elbow. How long does it take for tennis elbow to heal?

6 Answers

3 weeks.
This depends on what you mean by heal. Oftentimes, there is an underlying degenerative area with acute episodes of inflammation and pain. Most tennis elbow acute episodes can resolve with non-invasive intervention treatments and can resolve rather quickly (days to weeks), but this does not get rid of the underlying degenerative area if there is one. Injection treatments when done correctly with vascular channeling techniques can help, but may still take 6 weeks. If symptoms do not improve after 6 weeks, invasive treatment is indicated, but newer techniques with devices like Tenex though stab incisions I feel are much better than traditional surgical treatments (open incision, arthroscopic).

Ron Noy, MD
Variable time, usually between 6 and 12 weeks. An expert in Sports Medicine evaluation and proper treatment is needed.
Thank you.
It varies. With rest, no griping, anti-inflammatory meds, and stretching, most cases will resolve in 1-2 months.

Hope it helps!

Dr. Bose
It depends on what caused it to start, whether you seek medical treatment, and how long you rest from the activity that caused it. I generally recommend a wrist brace — to prevent you from repeatedly moving your wrist up and down (the action performed by the muscles involved); cessation of the aggravating activity (often for at least 6 weeks); NSAIDs if you can tolerate them for 4 weeks (do not take them if allergic, if you are on blood thinners, or if they will interact with your other medications or worsen an existing medical condition); and then an exercise program of stretching and strengthening.

If it occurred because of tennis, have your grip assessed— you may need a larger grip on your racquet and/or a change in your swing.

Hopefully, you will feel better in anywhere from 2-12 weeks
The medical term is lateral epicondylitis. Unfortunately, it may take a while. It depends on several factors. During a week of anti-inflammatories, and brace usage for 2-4 weeks, appropriate exercises can help diminish the pain and increase the function. Check this out:

https://www.pop-doc.com/browse.cgi?&action=browse_results&category1=Elbow&category2=Injury/Condition

"Recover" first for 3-4 weeks, then "condition/strengthen."

David T. Neuman, MD