Conditions
Acupuncture for tennis and golfer’s elbow, with Dr. Peter Caron.
Most people I see for tennis or golfer’s elbow have worn a brace or had a cortisone shot. The forearm muscles keep pulling on a tendon that never gets to recover. I treat the tendon and those muscles together.
Why it hasn’t gotten better
Most elbows hurt for months before anyone treats them.
It usually starts with a change in load. A new tennis partner, a move, a baby to carry, or long days on a laptop can all do it. The tendon starts to ache, you grip differently to protect it, and the forearm tightens around it.
The pain is worst when you first pick something up after resting. It eases once the arm is warm. That pattern usually responds well.
When to see a physician first
See a physician first after a fall or a pop with swelling and bruising. The same goes for an elbow you can’t fully bend or straighten, or a hot, swollen joint with a fever. Numbness or tingling in the ring and little fingers points to a nerve and should be checked. Tell me on the call, and I’ll point you to the right physician.
What it feels like
What people describe when they first call.
- A burning ache on the outside of the elbow that runs down into the forearm
- Pain on the inside of the elbow when you carry grocery bags or grip a club
- Turning a doorknob or opening a jar sets it off
- Picking up a coffee cup with your arm straight hurts more than it should
- Your grip feels weaker, and you’ve dropped a mug or two
- It flares after a long day with a mouse and eases over the weekend
If you recognized yourself in that list, the free 15-minute call is the place to start.
How I treat it
Most of the work happens in the forearm.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture eases the pain signals from the sore tendon and releases the forearm muscles pulling on it, so you can grip and lift again.
I test your grip and find the forearm points that reproduce your pain. Fine needles go there and around the tendon, usually with light electrical stimulation. The muscles let go and stop pulling on the tendon.
- Trigger point release
- Electroacupuncture
- Grip testing
- Referral mapping
Herbal medicine
An herbal formula helps settle the inflammation in the tendon between visits.
If the elbow flares after every busy stretch at work, I look at the wider pattern. A formula matched to that pattern works on it between visits.
- Herbal formula
- Constitutional support
Most elbows change within six to eight visits. Pain older than a year takes longer.
Describe the grip that hurts on a free 15-minute call, and I’ll tell you whether I can help.
Your first visit
What happens the first time you come in.
- We go through the history When it started, what you do with your hands all day, and what you’ve already tried, including braces, injections, and physical therapy.
- I test the grip and the forearm I check your grip strength and which movements bring on the pain, then press along the forearm to find the points that reproduce it.
- You’re treated the same day Fine needles at those points, usually with light electrical stimulation. Many people find gripping hurts less before they leave.
- You leave with a plan Roughly how many visits it should take, what to change at the desk or on the court, and what should have changed by the third visit.
What to expect
How it usually goes, visit by visit.
I test your grip at every visit, so you’ll know early if it’s working.
- Visits 1–2 The sharp pain on gripping starts to soften, and mornings usually get easier first.
- Visits 3–6 You can lift a full mug or a bag without bracing for it. Flare-ups after a long day come later and settle faster.
- After that We space visits out while the tendon finishes healing, which takes longer than the pain does. If nothing has changed by the sixth visit, I’ll say so and suggest what to try next, including a referral to a sports medicine physician.
Typical ranges, not promises. Results vary from person to person.
You’ll know at the first visit roughly how many visits it should take.
What the research shows
In a trial of 45 people with chronic tennis elbow, real acupuncture beat sham needling on pain, grip strength, and arm function.
German researchers compared real acupuncture with sham needling in 45 people with chronic tennis elbow. Two weeks after treatment, the acupuncture group had less pain, a stronger grip, and better arm function. The gain in function held at two months.
The research is small, and golfer’s elbow has barely been studied. Cortisone has a drawback of its own. In a 2013 trial, 54% had the pain back a year after a cortisone shot. Only 12% did after a placebo injection.
Questions
What people ask about tennis and golfer’s elbow.
Something not covered here? Ask on the free discovery call.
Not much. You may feel a dull ache or a twitch at a tight muscle. Many people find gripping hurts less before they leave.
Most elbows change within six to eight visits, and mornings usually ease first. The tendon keeps healing after the pain settles, so we space visits out rather than stop.
Most people with it don’t. Any repeated gripping can set it off. The name stuck from tennis, but in my practice it’s usually a mouse or a heavy bag.
If it makes gripping easier, keep using it for the things that set the pain off. Bring it to your first visit and I’ll check that it sits in the right spot.
Yes. Needling releases the forearm muscles so the tendon stops taking the full pull of every grip. The strengthening keeps it from flaring again.
We’re out of network and don’t submit claims. After each visit we send a superbill you can submit for reimbursement. Check your benefits before your first visit.
If your question isn’t here, ask it on the call. It’s free and takes fifteen minutes.
Related conditions
Often treated alongside this one.
Neck pain
For a neck that won’t turn all the way.
Peripheral neuropathy
For numbness and burning in the feet or hands.
Shoulder pain
For a shoulder that aches when you reach overhead.
Start here
Tell me where it hurts.
Describe the pain and how long you’ve had it. In a few minutes you’ll know whether I can help, and roughly how many visits it should take.
If you already know you want to come in, book an initial visit.