Elbow

If you are a pre-teen or a teenager who is active in sports such as football and baseball, elbow pain comes with the territory. Over 25% of pediatric injuries are elbow related, and most are related to overuse while playing sports.

Professional athletes and dedicated amateurs between the ages of 21 and 40 are the most prone to sports-related elbow injuries. Tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis) and golfer’s elbow (medial epicondylitis) frequently occur among those between 30-50 years of age.

The elbow joint is smaller than the knee joint but just as complicated. The primary evolutionary adaptation of the elbow is to enable humans to hurl a rock, spear or slingshot to kill prey. Today, baseball pitchers, especially relievers, can throw a baseball faster than 100 miles an hour. The fastest pitch was thrown by Aroldis Chapman of the Cincinnati Reds who threw a 106 mph pitch against the Pirates in 2011. In 2012, Samuel Groth broke a World Record for fastest tennis serve of 163.7 mph at the Busan Open.

Humans do seem to enjoy pushing anatomy to its limits, which causes all kinds of injuries, aches and pains. The elbow joint system connects the upper arm (humerus) to the lower arm bones of the radius and the larger ulna. The elbow joint allows flexion-extension and pronation-supination movements through the ulno-humeral and proximal radio-ulnar joints, respectively. Like the knee, the elbow joint is dependant on ligaments for support. The anterior joint capsule, ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) complex and the lateral collateral ligament (LCL) provide flexibility and stability to the joint.

Dr. Scott Greenberg is a pioneering leader in prolotherapy, PRP, and stem cell procedures. He serves as the chair of the Institutional Review Board of the American Association of Stem Cell Physicians and is a founding board member. He was a member of the first team to repair a meniscus tear using stem cell therapy and has treated many professional and Olympic athletes among the thousands of people helped since starting his practice in 1999. He also has the distinction of being named Director of the Regenerative Medicine team at the Dee Adams Center for Integrative and Regenerative Medicine at the Bryn Mawr Hospital.

If you or a loved one is looking for a regenerative strategy to treat your chronic conditions, fill out the form on this page to schedule an appointment or call Dr. Greenberg’s office today at 833-440-4325.