Many people with tennis elbow have found that over-the-counter NSAID painkillers (such as ibuprofen) help alleviate their discomfort. These can either be taken orally as tablets or applied topically as a gel onto the painful area. And you can always opt for other options when you need alternative medication for elbow pain.
Heat can help soothe pain, so a hot compress or microwaveable heating pad may provide relief. A physiotherapist may suggest stretching and strengthening exercises and providing support in the form of straps, clasps, or splints to the elbow joint.
Medications
Starting off treatment of elbow pain involves taking analgesic medication such as oral acetaminophen or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). If OTC medications do not offer sufficient relief, your physician may prescribe stronger solutions.
When dealing with tennis elbow or medical conditions like gout, resting and avoiding activities that trigger pain may help. Ice therapy methods like cold packs and baths may reduce inflammation by increasing blood flow to affected areas and decreasing pain and inflammation levels.
Medication such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents and corticosteroid injections may help relieve elbow pain and stiffness for some patients, while ultrasound and electrical stimulation may offer temporary pain relief. In more serious cases, surgery may be required.
Acupuncture, in which needles are inserted into various points on the body, is one alternative treatment option used by some for elbow pain. Though its exact mechanism remains unknown, many individuals report positive results from this method of pain relief. Patients suffering from lateral epicondylitis may benefit from wearing an elbow brace (available at most sporting goods stores). Heat therapy also plays a part; using heating pads or hot packs can increase circulation and speed healing. Certain essential oils like cypress, helichrysum, and peppermint may help improve elbow pain by decreasing inflammation while increasing blood flow directly to the affected area.
Exercises
Tennis elbow sufferers need to avoid activities that increase pain and discomfort, so consulting a physical therapist for stretching and strengthening exercises may be useful in alleviating their symptoms. Strengthening muscles of the forearm and wrist helps relieve strain on an injured tendon and relieve stress on it. It is one of the great alternative medications for elbow pain.
The elbow joint is a hinge that only permits movement in one plane (uniaxial). This means it can only bend forwards and backward; not up and down or side to side. However, the muscles connected to your elbow can create significant force when lifting or gripping objects.
These muscles called the flexor tendons of your forearm, can become fatigued through overuse and lead to tennis elbow or golfer’s elbow – an overuse injury caused by repeated movements of your arm as well as pressure applied over time to fingers, wrists, or forearms.
Your doctor or physical therapist may prescribe exercises to strengthen the forearm and wrist as part of their plan for improving forearm and wrist strength, and may also suggest wearing a compression brace during work or play. These simple braces take the strain off of painful elbow tendons while helping them heal; additionally, they’re over-the-counter and available at most pharmacies.
Rest
The first step should be addressing whatever is irritating your tendon and should greatly diminish pain levels. Your doctor may want to order an MRI scan of your elbow in order to better identify problems; you lie inside a tube where magnetic fields and radio waves send out signals which produce detailed images of the area in which you lie.
An injection of corticosteroids into the elbow can be effective as an alternative medication for elbow pain, relieving inflammation and pain. While the injection might temporarily worsen your symptoms, they should fade over time as your body adjusts to treatment. Your doctor can also administer different medicines to decrease nerve pain.
Ice treatments may help to alleviate inflammation in the elbow and arm, or use compression wraps on it, to keep swelling at bay. You could also try wearing a splint or brace and using friction massage or heat rubs for pain relief.
If you suffer from Olecranon Bursitis – which occurs when pressure builds over the back of the elbow and causes tissue swelling – antibiotics may be recommended by your physician. Your physician can also conduct an ultrasound exam to check for damaged tendons and muscles and provide treatment as necessary. If elbow pain does not resolve itself after six to 12 months of extensive non-surgical treatments, surgery may be required to remove damaged tissue.
Surgery
Tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis) is a painful condition caused by repeated muscle contractions that lead to inflammation and microtears in tendons that attach to the bony prominence on the outside of the elbow (lateral epicondyle). Repetitive activities like typing, driving, and manual work may exacerbate it; typically this condition impacts those over 40 and typically lasts six months to two years.
Treatment options have been suggested to address this condition, including painkillers such as paracetamol and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) tablets or creams and gels applied directly to the area of inflammation (topical NSAIDs). Physiotherapy may also play an essential part in relieving pain, swelling, and stiffness while improving mobility.
Surgery may be beneficial for those experiencing persistent lateral elbow pain who have not responded to conservative measures like steroid injections and physiotherapy. It is considered to be an alternative medication for elbow pain. Surgery entails making a small cut over the affected area and trimming away damaged tissue from where your ECRB muscle attaches to the bone (ECRB tenotomy). This process may be completed either open (with a large incision over the front of the elbow) or percutaneously/arthroscopically via smaller incisions.
Surgeons can also remove loose pieces of bone or cartilage trapped within an elbow joint (loose bodies). This will help restore movement while decreasing pain levels.