Net Improvement In Tennis Elbow Treatment (NAPSA)—Many tennis players, golfers and other weekend and professional athletes are raising a racket about the possibility of better ways to treat lateral epicondylitis, also knownas“tennis elbow.” Thecondition is usually caused by overstress of the tendon that attaches to the bone at the outside of the elbow. The generally accepted treatments for this kind of repetitive stress disorder include: * RICE, that is rest, ice, compression and elevation plus activity modification * Braces, splints (forearm sleeve) and/or orthotics * Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) (e.g. Naprosyn, Advil, Motrin, Nuprin, Alleve, Aspirin ete.), Cox inhibitors (Celebrex,ete.) * Physiotherapy, rehabilitation, conditioning and generalfitness * Steroid injections or local anesthetic * Surgery There are also specific training techniques and equipment factors, such as correcting backhand technique or modifying the racquet grip, head size or string tension. Now, however, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the application of a new extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) system. This is an innovative, noninvasive way to treat localized musculoskeletal pain. It’s done with the Sonocur Basic, a variable energy shock wave machine from Siemens Medical Solutions. During a treatment A new device may makecertain sports injuries easier to treat. with this system, the articulating head of the device is placed onto the area where the patient experiences pain. The machine then administers a preset number of pulses, or shockwaves, at a low energy level, allowing for anesthesia-free treatment. “We found that these treatments improved functional outcomes in most patients, while offering no significant side effects,” observed Dr. David Covall, an orthopedic surgeon. Other advantages to the treatment noted by Dr. Covall are that “it is officebased, requires no anesthesia, and is non-invasive. This means that the treatment will be more accessible to the patient and more cost effective. I believe that this form of non-surgical treatment could revolutionize the treatment of pain associated with tennis elbow.” Doctors, patients and others interested in learning more can look online at www.Siemens Medical.com/sonocur.
