Does acupuncture work for elbow pain and tendonitis?

A common condition we see in our office is elbow pain. Specifically, tennis and golfer’s elbow aka tendonitis. This is a common complaint as it often prohibits the person from doing activities they love, disrupts sleep, and can lead to referred pain. In fact, it affects approximately 1% to 3% of the population. Often people note swelling around the elbow joint, limited range of motion, and referred pain to the neck or shoulders.

What do the studies say?

Acupuncture works to reduce pain locally and throughout the whole body by the release of pain control hormones. It works locally to reduce pain, inflammation, and loosen tight muscles that maybe contributing to pain.

A recent study looked at the effects of acupuncture on tennis elbow compared to corticosteroid injection found that “acupuncture improves pain and function more effectively than corticosteroid injection in chronic lateral epicondyle pain” (Peng, 2020).

Acupuncture has been shown to provide a safe, effective, and natural way to treat chronic pain with little to no side effects.

Treatment of elbow pain

At Starting Point Acupuncture, the initial step is to take a detailed history from the patient to see what caused the pain (if known), examine any past medical history or injuries and do a detailed physical exam. Dr. Heintze uses an integrative approach to treating pain and treatments are based on the individual’s specific need.

We see often in our practice that people make their way to our office “as a last resort” and find the “best results.” We use an integrative approach to care addressing the root cause of the pain.

Contact our office at (425) 686-4498 to schedule your consultation with Dr. Heintze to learn more about how we can help you live pain-free.

Dr. Ellie Heintze, ND, LAc, is a naturopathic doctor and acupuncturist in Bothell, WA at her practice Starting Point Acupuncture. She specializes in chronic and complex cases and commonly treats neuropathy, fibromyalgia, migraines, autoimmune, and infertility cases. In addition, Dr. Ellie Heintze is also the author of the book, A Starting Point Guide to Going Gluten-Free  and Keep Calm and Zen Out available on Amazon.

Sources:

https://www.uptodate.com/contents/evaluation-of-elbow-pain-in-adults?search=tennis%20elbow&source=search_result&selectedTitle=2~18&usage_type=default&display_rank=2

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7034677/