Acupuncture for Tennis Elbow & Golfer's Elbow
Tennis Elbow & Golfer's Elbow Treatment
Acupuncture and sports medicine for tennis elbow and golfer's elbow in Los Angeles. Nature Acupuncture & Herbs treats lateral and medial epicondylitis with evidence-based integrative care for athletes and active patients.
- What it is
- Degenerative tendinopathy at the lateral elbow (tennis elbow) or medial elbow (golfer's elbow), causing pain with grip and resisted wrist movement.
- Common causes
- Repetitive grip and wrist motion from racquet sports, golf, manual labor, or sustained computer use, leading to collagen disorganization in the affected tendon.
- How we treat it
- Acupuncture and electroacupuncture promote tendon remodeling; targeted massage along the forearm chain and a graded eccentric loading program restore healthy load tolerance.
About This Condition
Tennis elbow and golfer's elbow are the same pathology in two different locations. Both are degenerative tendinopathies, not the inflammatory "tendinitis" the name suggests. Lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow) involves the common extensor tendon at the outside of the elbow. Medial epicondylitis (golfer's elbow) involves the common flexor tendon at the inside. About 1 to 3 percent of American adults will get one or the other at some point, and most cases come from repetitive grip activity rather than the sport in the name.
At Nature Acupuncture & Herbs, we treat both presentations with the same general approach: acupuncture and electroacupuncture at the affected tendon, targeted massage and tuina along the forearm chain, and a graded loading program to remodel the degenerative tendon tissue. Most cases that have failed initial conservative treatment improve substantially within 6 to 12 weeks of consistent care.
How Does Acupuncture Help Tennis Elbow & Golfer's Elbow?
The degenerative model of epicondylitis explains why simple rest and anti-inflammatory medications often fail. The problem is not active inflammation but a tendon that has lost its normal collagen organization and developed neovascular ingrowth that drives pain. Acupuncture works at this tissue level. A 2019 systematic review in the British Medical Bulletin examined 12 randomized trials on acupuncture for lateral epicondylitis and concluded that real acupuncture produced significantly better pain and function scores than sham at 4 weeks and 6 months, with electroacupuncture showing the strongest effect sizes.
Massage and tuina address the muscular contributors that perpetuate load on the tendon: tight wrist flexors and extensors, restricted forearm fascia, and trigger points in the upper trapezius and rotator cuff that change the mechanics all the way down the arm. Releasing those proximal tissues reduces the pull on the affected tendon during daily use, which is often what allows healing to progress.
What to Expect at Nature Acupuncture
Your first visit includes a clinical exam (Cozen's test for tennis elbow, reverse Cozen's for golfer's elbow, palpation of the affected tendon), an assessment of grip strength compared to the unaffected side, and a check for cervical or shoulder contributions to the symptom pattern. Treatment typically combines acupuncture at the elbow and forearm with electroacupuncture across the tendon, 10 to 15 minutes of targeted massage along the forearm chain, and instructions for a daily eccentric loading program at home. Sessions run 60 to 75 minutes. Most patients see meaningful improvement within 4 to 6 sessions.
Acupuncture for Tennis Elbow & Golfer's Elbow
Available at all three Los Angeles locations - West LA, Hawthorne, and Lynwood.
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Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this really an inflammatory condition?
No. The name "tendinitis" is misleading. Histological studies show that chronic epicondylitis is a degenerative tendinopathy, not an active inflammatory condition, which is why anti-inflammatory medications are often disappointing past the first week. The treatment that works is one that promotes tendon remodeling, which is what eccentric loading and acupuncture both do.
How quickly will I notice improvement?
Acute cases often improve within 3 to 5 sessions. Chronic cases (symptoms longer than 3 months) typically need 8 to 12 sessions before producing a meaningful change. Grip strength gains usually lag pain reduction by several weeks.
Should I keep playing tennis or golf during treatment?
Modified activity is usually fine and often better than complete rest. Complete rest can prolong recovery because the degenerative tendon needs progressive loading to remodel. We help you scale activity to where it stays below the symptom-provoking threshold, which is different for every patient and changes through the course of treatment.
What about a cortisone injection?
Cortisone injections produce reliable short-term pain relief but are associated with worse long-term outcomes in multiple trials. Most patients who want lasting recovery do better with conservative care, including acupuncture, than with repeated injections. We coordinate with sports medicine doctors when patients are considering injections for severe cases.
Can acupuncture replace surgery?
For most cases, yes. Surgical release for epicondylitis is reserved for patients who have failed 6 to 12 months of comprehensive conservative care, which is uncommon. Most patients who reach the point of considering surgery have not yet had a properly executed eccentric loading program plus targeted manual therapy. We start there.
3
LA Locations
10+
Years Experience
Most
Insurance Accepted
Ready to Treat Your Tennis Elbow & Golfer's Elbow?
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