Orthopedic Truths: Tennis Elbow Stupid name Most people who have it don't play tennis. Nearly every person will get it. The most common cause of lateral elbow/upper forearm pain. It will resolve almost everyone on its own. Without "treatment". But it might take 6-12 months. Yep, 6-12 months. It may not resolve in some people. Some people have minimal symptoms. Some have severe pain. Some people deal with pain well. Some don't. Most people are in our office because they're afraid of hurting themselves or they have a fear of the unknown. If you tell them the proper story about tennis elbow, most are relieved and will go on to live their active lives without needing anything. The pain when lifting with your palm facing down is real. It also will amaze you how often the outside of your elbow contacts doors, etc. Lift with your palm up... no pain. The examination is straightforward. The diagnosis is straightforward. MRI imaging isn't needed. It always says, "partial thickness tears.... yada, yada, yada...." MRI findings are rarely a reason to have surgery. Basically... there's very little reason to operate on these at all. Besides... there are plenty of surgeries described to manage this... most involve releasing/removing the offending tendon-- the ECRB... so why would a tear need to be "fixed" 😂 It can be super annoying... I'll agree to that. It's worse in people who lift a lot for work. Some people might insist that something be done. That's fine... But far, far, far too many are offered injections as a first-line treatment. Steroid injections are not kind to tendons. They're not kind to the lateral ligaments, either. If not appropriately placed, steroids dissolve the fat under your skin. That pale dimple with veins running through it is unsightly. Tendons really don't like steroid injections. A steroid injection might feel great for a few weeks or months... but the pain often returns. Not in everyone, though. So... it might have worked for you. But it made many others worse. PRP injections, anyone?? Maybe It won't cause harm. You should never pay > $500-1000. It could work... Then again... so do placebos I'm not calling PRP injections placebos... But, you know, maybe??? Physical therapy? Meh... But anything that distracts you while nature runs its course is valuable. Braces? Meh... That damn placebo effect again Try it... no harm, no foul. Red light, laser, blue/purple pulsed lights... whatever. Shockwave therapy... maybe. Hard to find... and it hurts... but it might help. This very common yet annoying ailment is so prevalent. Most everyone is going to get it. Carry on... No need to rest or stop activities unless the pain is too spicy. Everyone on IG has a cure: save your money, and if you can move on, wait it out. As usual... it's always far more complex than most people think.