PRP Treatment for Elbow Tendon Tear

[LakeboyWWK]

Just had PRP (Platelet Rich Plasma) treatment today for a 4mm tear in my Extensor Carpi Radialis Brevis (Tennis Elbow). Doc says it will 3-6 months recovery with rehab. Just wondering if any other Ballers have had a similar issue and what the recovery was like? How did it react to skiing again? I'm 57 so age will be factor.

[vtmecheng]

I have no experience with the elbow but had a PRP in my big toe a couple weeks ago for turf toe. That did not feel good but a week later it obviously made a difference.

[Buxrus]

I am 58. Last year at this time, had complete tear of common extensor tendon and partial of tricep near olecranon. Did PRP, hurt like a mother I might add, was not allowed to do any activity with right UE for three weeks. Did 4 weeks of strength training with PT following that, I knew immediately it was gonna work. elbow is great, fantastic. I am right hand dominant. Very manual job which requires pushing pulling and lifting. skiing and lifting like i want. no issues. good luck.

[LakeboyWWK]

@Buxrus that's encouraging. Sounds like yours was worse than mine. Thanks for the feedback.

[Rednucleus]

What handle are you using? I found my elbow feels better with a larger radius and curved bar.

[Skoot1123]

Interesting to hear - I believe I have golfers elbow. Similar (maybe) to tennis elbow but on the inside (medial). Definitely notice my form/technique suffers as a result of this. Looking for ways to rehab and/or reduce the strain. @Rednucleus I have heard about that curved handle fixing or helping reduve the stress on your elbow. @Buxrus - trust the prp works wonders!

[skiinxs]

I have had 19 PRP's and obviously am a huge fan. I believe all except two have been huge successes. I have never had more than one for the same injury other than the two that didn't work. They were a hail Mary for a torn rotator cuff in case there was enough still attached to heal. There wasn't, it can't make it magically reattach, only asist in healing a partial tear. My latest was this summer. Partial tear in the middle of my forearm coming out of the water. Had a PRP the next day. Four weeks off and as good as new. In case your doc didn't tell you, no Aleve or related drugs for a couple weeks. You want it to be aggravated, so it heals.

 

 

[LakeboyWWK]

@Skoot1123 the curved handle and clincher gloves both helped reduce the strain. I also used a theraband and foam rolled my entire arm to rehab it, both helped as well. The issue came on from skiing but the tear happened while playing hockey.

@skiinxs 19 PRP's WOW. I'm in Canada and they're $700 a pop hear. Glad to hear they work though.

[skiinxs]

@LakeboyWWK I agree on the curved handle helping elbows, but clincher gloves scare me because I have to really open my hand wide to get them to let go and I don't trust myself to do that every time. PRP is up to $500 US, but those 19 times are over a period of at least 15 years, probably a little longer. They have saved me a lot by preventing lots of surgeries, although I have had lots of those as well. (each shoulder twice, right elbow twice, left elbow once, each knee once, right ankle once. (Maybe I should learn to ski more cautiously:)

[A_B]

Use the Radar Vice gloves and push the dowel rods out. The added material at the end of the straps helps take a little load off the arms/elbows and is easier to let go. It is critical that you cannot stretch your fingers straight though, they need a slight bend to be effective. I have found a fair amount of variability in the length of the straps on all brands I have tried.

 

[Buxrus]

mine was so successful I would do it again if I had too. Of course I have continued to recondition the forearm wrist and elbow muscles. I also wear three different pairs of gloves throughout the season and have two different handles, different diameters. I think the new ML rope has helped as well this year. I've posted it twist a lot more than other ropes I've had but it definitely is easier on the body. @LakeboyWWK good luck.

[Killer]

@Skoot1123 visit a physio. Have had (medial) elbow for a few years in my dominant arm. My physio found my arms take too much load because back/core isn't strong enough. Also not hanging on to lots of slack and having better form helps! So strengthening those muscles is helping, but so is regular manual therapy on my arm including ims accupuncture (electro stimulation).

 

There are lots of stretches you can do to help alleviate the pain and build strength. I use a foam roller religiously and therabands for shoulder stability, also therabar for elbow and arm stretches.

 

A good warm up also necessary before skiing.

 

 

[Skoot1123]

@Killer - lucky for me my sister is a Physical Therapist - so I can ask her for some good exercises.

 

Good point about back and core strength. That is one area I’d like to focus on in the off season. I felt quite strong this year skiing - but haven’t skied as much (at the current rate anyway). Focused more on technique. Interestingly though my non dominant arm is the one that “hurts”.

 

Keep up the talk on PRP. That is interesting stuff.

[DaveD]

@LakeboyWWK How are you doing 6 months after the PMP? Are you back to 100% or are you still dealing with issues?

[LakeboyWWK]

I'd say I'm 90%. I have been playing hockey once a week for the past 3 months and it aggravates the elbow. I've now shut that down and hope to be 100% for my first runs in May. Have been using the Theraband and dumbells for rehab.

[DaveD]

So do you think the PMP actually sped up healing?

[LakeboyWWK]

Yes definitely sped up healing.

[DaveD]

Good to hear because I got the treatment yesterday for my golfers elbow.

[LakeboyWWK]

Hopefully you have the same success as I and others on here have had.

[BraceMaker]

So take this for what it is and somewhat playing devil's advocate.

 

Recently I was discussing this with a local physician who in the past has provided PRP and no longer performs the procedure in his practice. He has had PRP performed on himself twice and had good outcomes both times. However he is the first person to point out that he really doesn't know if it was directly helpful, there's enough of a placebo effect to any procedure to cover any possible outcome.

 

So what that means - by all means if you have the $ to pay for it you will probably have at least the same recovery as you would have had with out and maybe it will help you - but the Cost/Benefit ratio is not such that evidence based medicine practices use it.

 

[Rednucleus]

So you say it was successful but hurts to play hockey; sounds like still have an active problem that is not "healed", but managed by avoiding things that hurt.

[LakeboyWWK]

I had the treatment done in early September 2019 after 14 months of trying many different methods to rehab the issue. Ultrasound showed a 4mm tear in the tendon near the lateral epicondyle. After the PRP treatment I rested it for 6 weeks, got an ultrasound and it showed the tear had improved. I then began light physio and after 8 weeks noticed a major improvement. By December the pain was completely gone and I could do strength training work on the arm without any discomfort. I started playing hockey in January, played in a weekend tournament ( 4 games over 2 days) and noticed some discomfort in the elbow. The discomfort would go away by game time the following week. Each time I played hockey my elbow would have some discomfort the next day. So, the PRP worked but I have aggravated the injury via hockey, although it is no where near what it was last summer before PRP. I probably should have waited longer and did more strength training before going back to hockey. At 57 there are several other joints that are a little aggravated the day after a game of hockey but settle down with 2 days.

[LakeboyWWK]

Update - Have had zero issues with my elbow this summer. I have somewhere near 15 sets of skiing in this year (late start) and my elbow feels completely normal. I'm using Radar Vice gloves and a Radar Arc handle. My sets are usually 4-6 passes of open water skiing with 10-12 turns each pass. I've also continued use of the Theraband and do pullups/chinups during the week (skiing on weekends).

[vtmecheng]

I'll throw in an update. My foot is about where it was two weeks after the second PRP injection. That's to say, it's definitely better than it was before the two injections but it's not 100% and never will be because of two surgeries and arthritis. Did the PRP help or was it placebo? I have no idea. I like that even though studies show improvement due to PRP is inconclusive, the lack of negative effects seems to hold firm. The same can't be said of cortisone shots. I do think the success of PRP is dependent on its administration but have nothing to back that up.

[DaveD]

PRP on my golfer's elbow didn't work. I understand the concept of increasing the oxygen to help healing but I think the inflammation of the PRP in the tendon prevents the healing.