How does tendon healing work in the elbow?
Tendon healing is gradual and can stall in the elbow. According to the book Beyond Stem Cells, the body patches tiny tennis elbow and golfer's elbow tears with disorganized collagen, so the tendon can get thicker, stiffer and painful. Regenerative medicine aims to support the body's own repair, alongside rest, rehab and physical therapy.
Key points
- Tendon healing in the elbow is tricky because the body lays down disorganized collagen after tiny tears.
- Golfers elbow vs tennis elbow: tennis elbow is on the outside of the elbow, golfer's elbow is on the inside.
- You do not have to play tennis or golf. Both come from repeated gripping, lifting and wrist motions at work or in a hobby.
- Rest, a brace, anti-inflammatory meds and steroid shots mostly manage pain for a while, according to the book. They do not help the damaged tendon rebuild.
- PRP comes from your own blood. The book says the kind with fewer white blood cells often works better for long-term tendon problems.
- Mesenchymal stem cells send out signals that may support several tissues at once and help keep scar tissue down.
- Ultrasound guidance matters because nerves sit very close to the elbow tendons.
- Tendon healing timeline: gradual, weeks to months. Pain often eases first and grip strength comes back after.
- Tendon healing foods and habits: protein, vitamin C, zinc, omega-3s, good sleep and stress management.
Elbow Tendon Tears and Repair
Read the full transcript · Download the MP3 · Voices are AI-generated from a script based on the book.
Golfers elbow vs tennis elbow: what is going on in the tendon
Tennis elbow and golfer's elbow are the same kind of tendon problem on opposite sides of the elbow: tennis elbow on the outside, golfer's elbow on the inside. The elbow is three bones meeting up: the upper arm bone and the two forearm bones. It has two jobs. It bends and straightens like a hinge, and it rotates so you can turn your palm up or down. When it hurts, everyday things like turning a doorknob or lifting a bag of groceries get hard.
Tennis elbow: the outside of the elbow
Tennis elbow is pain on the outside of the elbow, where the forearm muscles that pull the wrist back attach to a bony bump. According to the book, it usually comes from repeated wrist and gripping motions that put more load on those tendons than they can handle. You do not need to play tennis to get it.
Golfer's elbow: the inside of the elbow
Golfer's elbow is the same idea on the other side. It affects the tendons on the inside of the elbow, which help bend the wrist and rotate the forearm. The book says it is common with repeated throwing and with jobs that demand strong, steady gripping.
Is it elbow tendonitis?
Many people call it elbow tendonitis, but the book describes something a little different. It is often tendon breakdown without much inflammation: tiny tears followed by a poor healing response. That is why elbow pain often is not just inflammation.
Why tendon healing stalls, and the stages of tendon healing
Tendons connect muscle to bone. When they get tiny tears, the body tries to patch them, but in the elbow that patch job often does not go well.
Messy collagen, like a badly patched sweater
Collagen is the main protein that gives tendons their strength. After tiny tears, the body lays down collagen that is disorganized and immature. Over time the tendon can get thicker and less stretchy, and it hurts whenever you use it.
The stages of tendon healing
Healing moves from cleanup to rebuilding to remodeling, when new, stronger collagen slowly replaces the damaged kind. The book explains that in long-term elbow problems, the switch from cleanup to rebuilding often gets stuck. Many long-term tendon problems also come with weaker blood flow, which means fewer nutrients reach the area.
Why the usual options only go so far
Rest, a brace, anti-inflammatory medications and steroid shots are the standard tools. According to the book, they mostly manage the pain for a while and do not typically help the damaged tissue rebuild. Regenerative medicine takes a different angle by supporting the body's own healing.
Golfer's elbow treatment and tennis elbow: PRP, stem cells and exosomes
The book walks through several regenerative options for the elbow. Here is what each one is, in plain words.
PRP: not one-size-fits-all
PRP, or platelet-rich plasma, is made from a small amount of your own blood, spun so the platelets are concentrated. Platelets carry growth factors, little signals that say start rebuilding. The book says how PRP is made matters: the kind with fewer white blood cells often works better for long-term tendon problems, while the kind with more may help fresh ligament injuries.
Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs)
Elbow problems often hit tendons, ligaments and cartilage at the same time. According to the book, MSCs may help because they send out signals that support healing in different tissues and may help keep scar tissue down, which matters because scar tissue can really limit how the elbow moves. The MSCs discussed here come from donated umbilical cord or placenta tissue.
Amniotic tissue and exosomes
The book also describes donor amniotic tissue, which contains hyaluronic acid, a natural lubricant for the joint. Exosomes are tiny bubble-like packages cells use to communicate. The book says their small size may let them reach the dense, fibrous layers of thick tendons that other options struggle to reach.
Diagnosis and ultrasound guidance
Figuring out what is wrong starts with questions, like when it started and what makes it worse, then a hands-on exam. X-rays show the bones, MRI shows soft tissue, and ultrasound shows it live. The book calls ultrasound guidance essential, because nerves sit very close by and the injection needs to land in the right spot, safely away from them.
Tendon healing timeline, foods and home care
Recovery is gradual. According to the book, it plays out over weeks to months, and the plan around the treatment matters as much as the treatment itself.
- First few days: ice and take it easy. The book says to avoid anti-inflammatory meds early on, because they can get in the way of the healing the treatment is trying to start. Check with your own provider on that.
- Some soreness right at the start is common. Pain often eases first, and grip strength comes back after.
- Then load is slowly added back in, and physical therapy helps restore movement and muscle balance.
- Food and habits: protein, vitamin C, zinc and omega-3s, plus good sleep and managing stress.
- Look at how you use the arm: work setup, tools and technique, so you stop stressing the same spot.
- Heat before gentle movement can help circulation, and cold can help if discomfort comes back.
- The book says smoking and uncontrolled diabetes can slow healing.
These ideas go alongside your own provider's care, not instead of it.
Chapter 2 in one line
Elbow pain often is not just inflammation. It is tissue that needs help healing, so support the healing, not just the pain.
Episode 2 transcript.
Read along, or skim the parts you care about most.
EliseOkay so, chapter two. And this one's all about the elbow.
GuideThe elbow. Yep.
EliseWhich I only think about when I bang it on something.
GuideThe funny bone.
EliseSo what makes the elbow such a big deal?
GuideSo it's actually three bones meeting up. Your upper arm bone and the two forearm bones.
EliseThree? Huh.
GuideYeah. And it has to do two jobs. Bend and straighten, like a hinge. And also rotate, so you can turn your palm up or down.
EliseLike turning a doorknob.
GuideExactly like a doorknob. And the book says when it hurts, that's the stuff that gets hard. Doorknobs, lifting a bag of groceries—
EliseOof, yeah.
Guide—just normal, everyday things.
EliseOkay, so tennis elbow. Do you have to play tennis to get it?
GuideNope. It's about repeated gripping and wrist motions. Could be work, could be a hobby.
EliseAnd golfer's elbow?
GuideSame idea, other side. Tennis elbow is the outside of the elbow. Golfer's elbow is the inside.
EliseOkay. So what's actually going on in there?
GuideSo the book describes it as tiny tears in the tendon. Tendons are what connect muscle to bone.
EliseMm-hm.
GuideAnd then the healing doesn't go great. The body lays down collagen, but it's messy. Disorganized.
EliseLike a badly patched sweater.
GuideKind of, yeah! And over time the tendon can get thicker and less stretchy, and it hurts when you use it.
EliseHuh. So what do people usually do for it?
GuideRest, a brace, anti-inflammatory meds, sometimes a steroid shot. The book says those mostly manage the pain for a while.
EliseBut not the actual tendon.
GuideRight. They don't really help the damaged tissue rebuild. That's where regenerative medicine comes in. It's about supporting the body's own healing.
EliseOkay, so PRP. That's from your own blood, right?
GuideYour own blood. They take a small amount and spin it so the platelets get concentrated. And platelets carry growth factors, which are like little signals that say, okay, start rebuilding.
EliseI like that.
GuideAnd here's a cool detail. The book says how they make the PRP matters.
EliseWait, there's more than one kind?
GuideYeah! Some has fewer white blood cells, some has more. The book says the kind with fewer often works better for long-term tendon problems. And the kind with more may help with fresh ligament injuries.
EliseOh, so it's not one-size-fits-all.
GuideNot at all.
EliseAnd stem cells? Where do those fit?
GuideSo, mesenchymal stem cells. MSCs. The book says elbow problems often hit a few tissues at once. Tendons, ligaments, cartilage.
EliseAll at the same time?
GuideOften, yeah. And MSCs may help because they send out signals that support healing in different tissues. And may help keep scar tissue down.
Elise'Cause scar tissue in your elbow sounds bad.
GuideIt can really limit how you move. The book also talks about donor options, like amniotic tissue, which has natural lubricating stuff in it. Hyaluronic acid.
EliseLike joint grease.
GuidePretty much, yeah.
EliseOkay, how do they even figure out what's wrong?
GuideQuestions first. When did it start, what makes it worse. Then a hands-on exam.
EliseMm-hm.
GuideAnd imaging. X-rays for the bones, MRI for the soft tissue. And ultrasound, which lets them see it live.
EliseWhy does live matter?
GuideThere are nerves really close by. The book says ultrasound guidance is essential, so the injection lands in the right spot, safely away from them.
EliseOh, good. Okay, so after the injection. What do I do?
GuideSo, ice, and take it easy for a bit. And this one surprises people. The book says to avoid anti-inflammatory meds for the first few days.
EliseWait, really? Why?
GuideBecause they can get in the way of the healing process the treatment's trying to kick off. Obviously, check with your own provider on that.
EliseOkay. And then?
GuideThen you slowly add load back in. Physical therapy helps a lot there.
EliseHow fast do people feel better?
GuideThe book says it's gradual. Weeks to months. And some soreness right at the start is common. Pain often eases first, and grip strength comes back after.
EliseHuh. And it's different for everybody, I'm guessing.
GuideTotally. The book says smoking and uncontrolled diabetes can slow healing.
EliseSo what else can I do to help?
GuideA few things. Protein, plus vitamin C, zinc, omega-threes. Good sleep. Managing stress.
EliseMm-hm.
GuideAnd look at how you use the arm. Work setup, tools, technique. Otherwise you keep stressing the same spot.
EliseSo it's not just the shot.
GuideNot just the shot. It works best as part of a bigger plan.
EliseOkay. So if you had to sum up chapter two?
GuideElbow pain often isn't just inflammation. It's tissue that needs help healing, so support the healing, not just the pain.
EliseLove that. And, quick reminder, this is general info, not medical advice. Talk to your own provider.
GuideAlways.
This is general information, not medical advice. Talk to your own provider.
Frequently asked questions.
What is the difference between golfer's elbow and tennis elbow?
Tennis elbow affects the tendons on the outside of the elbow. Golfer's elbow affects the tendons on the inside. Both come from repeated gripping, lifting and wrist motions, and you do not have to play either sport to get them.
How to heal tennis elbow fast?
According to the book, tendon healing is gradual, over weeks to months, not days. What helps is supporting the process: PRP or other regenerative options when appropriate, slowly adding load back with physical therapy, good nutrition and sleep, and changing the motions that keep stressing the tendon.
How do you treat elbow tendonitis at home?
The book points to everyday support: protein, vitamin C, zinc and omega-3s, good sleep, stress management, and fixing your work setup, tools and technique. Heat before gentle movement and cold for flare-ups can also help. Talk with your own provider about what fits you.
What is golfer's elbow treatment like?
The book describes options for golfer's elbow such as PRP from your own blood, mesenchymal stem cells from donated umbilical cord or placenta tissue, and exosomes, placed with ultrasound guidance because nerves sit close by. They may help support healing alongside rest, physical therapy and changes to how you use the arm.
What is the tendon healing timeline after a regenerative treatment?
The book says it is gradual, over weeks to months. Some soreness in the first few days is common. Pain often eases first, and grip strength tends to come back after that.
Why does the book say to avoid anti-inflammatory meds after treatment?
Because in the first few days they can interfere with the healing process the treatment is trying to start. Always check with your own provider before changing any medication.
Where is Beyond Stem Cells located?
Beyond Stem Cells is at 5912 S Cody St, Suite 201, Littleton, CO 80123, serving the Denver metro. This podcast is general education, not medical advice.
Want to see how this connects to elbow care in the Denver metro? Learn about elbow pain treatment in Littleton, PRP for tennis elbow, shockwave therapy for epicondylitis, regenerating elbow cartilage with stem cells, Episode 12 on bone and cartilage healing, stem cell therapy vs PRP, stem cell therapy, our medical team.
Further reading: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia: tennis elbow.
Want the whole book? Get the free Beyond Stem Cells book.
Regenerative care in Littleton and the Denver metro.
Beyond Stem Cells sits just off S Cody St in Littleton, an easy drive from Ken Caryl, Highlands Ranch, Centennial, Englewood and Lakewood.
Questions about your own situation?
The podcast is general education. If you want to talk about your own health, request a consultation with our team.
Beyond Stem Cells · 5912 S Cody St, Suite 201, Littleton, CO 80123 · (833) 720-7836 · info@beyondstemcells.com
Medical disclaimer: This page is general education based on the book Beyond Stem Cells by John Comandari and Neville Campbell, MD. It is not medical advice. Individual results vary and no specific outcome is promised. Talk to your own provider about your situation.