The real test to determine whether the therapy is working comes when a player returns to the court.  In Beth's case, she was a good, compliant patient, adhering to her prescribed recovery plan for the first two weeks after treatment.

She stayed away from over the counter pain medications - and when the pain was a bit much, used elbow magnets.  She stayed off the court two weeks.  Each night she used a warm neoprene sleeve inside a heating pad for warmth.  

Beth was scheduled to play a team 4.0 doubles match exactly two weeks after her injection.  The night before,  she hit on the ball machine.  "It didn't hurt while I was playing, but was a little sore later on," she reported.

Match Play Day...

Against Doctor Wardell's orders, she cheated a very tiny bit, and did take Advil for the first time in two weeks just prior to her match.  (Patients are told to wait a full six weeks before taking anti-inflammatories.)

Please note that YOUR RESULTS MAY NOT BE THE SAME, but Beth was pleased to report that she and her doubles partner won their match 6-0, 6-1.  

Has Beth now become the Bionic Woman?

"I wish!" she laughed.

Although the elbow did not hurt during the match, Beth said that it was a little tender later in the day, but "nothing too bad."  She iced after playing for good measure.

"Right now, it feels fine," she said, about 5 hours after match play.

"I believe it has mended a little bit, but has a little bit more to go.  If I don't play too much, I might actually let it heal," said the patient, anxious to get back to her regular routine of tennis match play.

"I can see how, in an extreme case, someone might get two shots.  (Dr. Wardell did say that it might require more than one shot.)  All in all, my elbow feels way better than it did two weeks ago, and much better than it did two months ago.  But it is not yet  completely healed."

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......And After

"As soon as someone starts feeling better, they tend to jump right back in to whatever they usually do," said Dr. David Nedeff, a Richmond orthopedic surgeon, who was interviewed last year for a story about tennis playing patients. 

Although Beth has been mostly compliant with Dr. Wardell's prescribed recovery plan, she may have been a bit too quick to jump right back in to a full tennis playing schedule.  Following her USTA match on Tuesday (just two weeks after her injection), she played another USTA match on Wednesday evening.  And remember, she hit on the ball machine on Monday night.  That's three tennis sessions in three days.

"I may have over-done it," she admitted later in the week.  "It was sore after playing on Tuesday and Wednesday.  I took off Thursday, and plan to take off Friday.  I have a match scheduled on Saturday."

She says she has not taken any Advil, aspirin or Aleve.  "I need to take it easy....My problem is I do want to jump back in full swing right away.  But I am determined now that I am only going to play team matches and Club Challenge matches, and try to limit my tennis to 3-4 times a week (not daily like I had been playing) at least for the next two weeks."

Beth said she wishes she would have listened to her husband, Bob, who suggested she take off three weeks initially, instead of two.  With the continued soreness, does she now have doubts about the therapy?

"The swelling is back, but not as bad as it was..... If it is not any better in 4 weeks, I will consider going back for another treatment.  I am anxious to talk to Dr. Wardell to see how his other patients are faring.

"I haven't given up hope!"

Update Monday, June 25
"Elbow is feeling great"

Beth was anxious to update her progress after a very good weekend.  

"I don't want to jinx anything, but my arm is feeling great," she reported by email.  "I played Saturday - no problems!  I am also doing one other treatment during the healing process, using Castor Oil packs, an alternative therapy that has been around since ancient Egypt.  This is something I found on the internet and it seems to be working like a charm.  At night, I rub the oil in and wrap it, then heat it with a heating pad.  I'm not sure if this is what seems to be helping but something is definitely working!"

Six Weeks Later......Mostly better

Part Four

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*This article is provided for informational purposes only and does  not  constitute medical advice, a recommendation or endorsement of any particular procedure or product and should not be used as a substitute for medical advise from your physician.  Please consult your physician for a specific treatment plan for tennis elbow or any other procedure.