“We were treating the worst of the worst—patients who had been seriously disabled by their tennis elbow pain for an average of 14 months before starting acupuncture treatment,” says Peter T. Dorsher, MD, a consultant in the department of physical medicine and rehabilitation at the clinic. Interestingly, the study participants had failed to find relief with all standard treatments for tennis elbow, including anti-inflammatory drugs, cortisone injections, and wearing braces. Tennis elbow (known to doctors as lateral epicondylitis) occurs when tendons in the joint become inflamed due to overuse of any kind. Even hammering or gardening can cause it. The recurring pain can radiate down the forearm, making it difficult to extend the arm. It also causes twinges when lifting or grasping even lightweight objects. People in the study received four treatments with acupuncture needles, a painless healing method used for more than 2,500 years in Traditional Chinese Medicine to relieve pain and treat a wide variety of illnesses. Practitioners believe that pain is a result of blockages of energy and/or bloodflow in a particular area. Acupuncture is thought to release the blockages and promote healing. To find a qualified acupuncturist in your area, go to the website of the American Association of Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine. More from Prevention: 20 Mind-Body Treatments That Actually Work
