Tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis) causes pain on the outside of the elbow, often where the forearm tendons attach near the bony bump. Despite the name, most people who get it don’t play tennis — it shows up in golfers, weightlifters, manual workers, and anyone with repetitive gripping or wrist motion. Rest, bracing, and physical therapy help many cases, but some linger for months.
Why tennis elbow can be slow to heal
Tendons have a limited blood supply compared to muscle, so the body’s natural repair response in an injured tendon can be slow. That’s one reason a case of tennis elbow sometimes drags on long after the activity that caused it has stopped.
How PRP is used for tendon problems
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is prepared from your own blood: a sample is drawn, concentrated, and then injected at the injured tendon under ultrasound guidance. The goal is to place a concentrated dose of your own platelets where the tendon is injured, to support the body’s own repair response in tissue that otherwise heals slowly.
What to expect at UPC
Care starts with a $95 consultation at our Riverside or Menifee clinic, where Dr. Rainier Guiang evaluates your elbow and determines whether PRP is a reasonable option for your case. The injection itself is done in the office under ultrasound guidance. Because PRP is considered elective and investigational by most insurance companies, it is not covered by insurance — patients are responsible for the full cost.
Tennis elbow is one of several sports-related tendon problems we treat — see our sports injury treatment page for the full picture, or read more about PRP for pain.
Book a consultation
If elbow pain is keeping you from your sport, your work, or daily activity, book a $95 consultation at our Riverside or Menifee clinic and get an evaluation from Dr. Guiang.
