Steroid Shots for Tennis Elbow Miss the Mark: Study

From the “Health” Magazine website:

February 5, 2013    By Steven Reinberg     HealthDay Reporter

Here are a few excerpts:

TUESDAY, Feb. 5 (HealthDay News) — A corticosteroid shot is a common treatment for “tennis elbow,” but a new study finds it might do more harm than good.

“Patients having steroid injections should be warned of the potential for recurrence three to 12 months after the injection, even after feeling any benefit in the short term,” said senior study author Bill Vicenzino, chairman of sports physiotherapy at the University of Queensland in St. Lucia, Australia.

Recurrences are usually put down to the fact that patients feel better after the injection and then do too much too soon, Vicenzino said.

“However, the steroid injection produced higher recurrence rates than did a placebo injection, indicating that the actual steroid medication is likely the reason for the high recurrence rates,”

After a year, the investigators found that 83 percent of those who had a steroid injection had a complete recovery or were much improved, compared with 96 percent of those who had the placebo injection.

There is a lot more to the article.  You can read the whole thing – HERE

---

From “Home Remedies For You”

Tennis elbow, also known as lateral epicondylitis, is a condition in which the outer elbow region becomes tender and sore. It is a common cause of elbow pain, especially in the case of individuals who play racquet sports like tennis or squash. However, this injury can afflict anyone because of an overuse of that particular part of the elbow. This condition generally occurs when the tendons connected to the outer part of the elbow get inflamed. These tendons help in moving the wrists backwards.

For more description including Symptoms of Tennis Elbow; Causes of Tennis Elbow; Remedies for Tennis Elbow; Diet for Tennis Elbow; Suggestions for Tennis Elbow and Tennis Elbow: Frequently asked questions – CLICK HERE