Anti-inflammatory medications offer tennis elbow pain relief. Their noticeable effect makes them very effective for a quick-fix painless condition. These kinds of medications could either be in the form of oral or injection. The oral forms are considered to be non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs that are easy to take and often help control inflammation and manage pain. These drugs deliver tennis elbow pain relief.
They are commonly prescribed for the inflammation of arthritis and other body tissues, such as tendonitis and bursitis. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs include aspirin, indomethacin, ibuprofen, naproxen, piroxicam, and nabumetone, thus most people suffering with tennis elbow do consider this as a treatment. Basically, the advantage of these drugs is to relieve the pain because it controls the inflammation or swelling in tendons of the elbow. For tennis elbow sufferers, this drug helps in reducing the inflammation or swelling of the tendon in the lateral part of the elbow. The major side effects of these drugs are related to their effect on the stomach and bowels such as gastrointestinal system. About ten to fifty percent of the patients aren’t able to tolerate non-steroidal anti-inflammatory treatments because of the side-effects like abdominal pain, diarrhea, and upset stomach.
And then, almost fifteen percent of the patients on a long-term non-steroidal anti-inflammatory treatment build up a peptic ulcer or ulceration of the stomach and duodenum. When the oral form of medication fails, a steroid injection or cortisone is an option that the doctor may consider for you. This steroid injection can result in short-term relief of symptoms but there’s no beneficial effects shown in the medium to long-term. This type of treatment generally wears off after a few months and may need repeating.
More recently Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) injections have shown to be more effective than steroid injections, but are much expensive. When there’s still no relief if you’ve tried more than two cortisone injections, it is not likely that additional injections will benefit you. It is then the time when the doctor will consider a surgery. The injections are not comfortable and there is a risk of scarring at the site of injection. Studies have not shown any apparent benefit to result from this type of treatment aside from the relief that it provide from pain by reducing inflammation or swelling in the injured elbow. Therefore, it is alright for you to depend on anti-inflammatory drugs for pain relief but not for it to deliver cure on your tennis elbow.
It will never provide a long-term solution for your tennis elbow problem so you must make sure that you take enough rest, proper diet and regular exercise. It is also good for you to seek advice from a physical therapist to know any suitable stretching and exercise if you want a lasting cure for your injury. You must remember that anti-inflammatory medications may deliver tennis elbow pain relief but there are things that you should consider like the fact that you don’t have to depend on it completely to be cured.
