PRP for Tennis Elbow in Beverly Hills, CA | Modern Aesthetica

Elbow Pain Treatment in Beverly Hills

Tennis elbow is where PRP has its strongest evidence base anywhere in musculoskeletal medicine.

Book Consultation (213) 895-4730

Session Length

45–60 minutes

Results Appear

4–12 weeks

Sessions

Often 1

Evidence

Strongest for PRP

Tennis Elbow Is Not Inflammation

The name most people use — tendonitis — is misleading, and the distinction changes treatment.

When lateral epicondylitis is examined under a microscope in its chronic form, what is found is not inflammatory cells but degenerated, disorganised collagen with abnormal blood vessel growth. The correct term is tendinosis: a failed healing response rather than an active inflammatory one.

This explains why anti-inflammatory approaches often disappoint. There is limited inflammation to suppress. It also explains why cortisone frequently produces short-term relief followed by recurrence — and why several studies have found steroid injection produces worse outcomes at one year than doing nothing at all.

PRP takes the opposite approach: rather than suppressing a process, it attempts to restart a stalled one.

What we see

Lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow) — pain on the outer elbow, worse gripping, lifting with the palm down, or shaking hands.
Medial epicondylitis (golfer's elbow) — the same process on the inner elbow.
Distal biceps tendinopathy — pain in front of the elbow with lifting.

Most patients we treat are not athletes. Desk workers, tradespeople, and anyone with repetitive gripping are at least as common.

Why the Evidence Here Is Better

Of all PRP's musculoskeletal applications, lateral epicondylitis has the most consistently favourable results. Multiple randomized controlled trials have compared PRP against corticosteroid injection, and the pattern is fairly consistent: steroid performs better in the first few weeks, PRP performs better from around three months onward and at one year.

That trajectory makes sense given the underlying pathology. Steroid reduces pain quickly but does nothing for degenerated collagen and may impair it further. PRP stimulates repair, which takes time.

What this means practically

If your elbow pain is recent — under six weeks — start with load management, a proper eccentric strengthening programme, and activity modification. Many cases resolve without injection, and jumping to PRP first is unnecessary.

PRP is most appropriate for pain that has persisted beyond three months despite genuine conservative treatment. That is where it consistently outperforms alternatives, and it is a reasonable step before considering surgery.

Eccentric loading is not optional

The best outcomes come from combining PRP with a structured eccentric strengthening programme — slow, controlled lowering of the wrist against resistance. The injection improves the tissue's capacity to respond; the loading provides the stimulus that directs repair. Patients who do the injection without the rehabilitation do measurably worse.

How We Approach This

A physician assesses and injects

Dr. Daniel Moghadam performs these injections himself. Accurate placement matters enormously with joint and tendon injections — product delivered into the wrong plane does nothing useful — and the assessment of whether PRP suits your problem at all is a clinical judgement rather than a checklist.

Honest about the evidence

PRP's evidence base varies considerably by indication. Some uses are well supported by controlled trials; others are promising but thin. We will tell you which category yours falls into rather than presenting all applications as equally proven.

Not a substitute for what actually works

For most musculoskeletal problems, progressive loading and rehabilitation remain the foundation of treatment. PRP can support that process; it rarely replaces it. If you have not done structured rehabilitation, that is usually the first conversation.

Clear about when surgery is the answer

PRP does not repair a complete tendon rupture, reverse advanced bone-on-bone arthritis, or fix mechanical instability. Where a surgical opinion is the honest recommendation, that is what you will hear.

What Treatment Involves

Assessment

Dr. Moghadam examines the joint, reviews any imaging you have, and determines whether PRP is genuinely likely to help your specific problem — or whether something else is the better answer.

Blood draw

A small volume of your blood is drawn, comparable to a routine laboratory test.

Centrifugation

The sample is spun to concentrate the platelets and separate them from red blood cells. This takes ten to fifteen minutes.

Injection

The concentrate is injected into the target tissue. Local anesthetic is used, though not always inside the joint itself, since it can affect platelet function.

Recovery and review

Relative rest for the first few days, then a graded return to activity. Improvement typically builds over four to twelve weeks.

Common Questions

Elbow Pain Questions

This is PRP's strongest indication. Multiple randomized trials comparing PRP to corticosteroid injection show a consistent pattern: steroid works better in the first few weeks, but PRP produces better outcomes from around three months onward and at one year. That fits the underlying pathology, which is tendon degeneration rather than active inflammation.

Because chronic tennis elbow is not primarily an inflammatory condition — it is degenerated, disorganised collagen. Steroid reduces pain quickly but does not address that, and several studies have found steroid injection produces worse outcomes at one year than no injection at all. Short-term relief can come at a long-term cost here.

If your pain is under six weeks old, start with load management, activity modification, and a proper eccentric strengthening programme — many cases resolve without any injection. PRP is most appropriate for pain persisting beyond three months despite genuine conservative treatment.

Yes, and it materially affects your outcome. The best results come from combining PRP with structured eccentric loading — slow, controlled lowering of the wrist against resistance. The injection improves the tissue's ability to respond; the loading directs the repair. Patients who skip the rehabilitation do measurably worse.

Often just one for lateral epicondylitis, which is a meaningful advantage over some other indications. If there has been partial improvement but a plateau, a second injection is sometimes considered after reassessment.

Tendon injections are among the more uncomfortable PRP sites, and the elbow is no exception. We use local anesthetic, but expect soreness for several days afterward — sometimes a temporary increase in pain before improvement begins. That is an expected part of the process, not a sign of a problem.

Relative rest for the first few days, avoiding gripping and lifting. Gentle range of motion within a week, then progressive eccentric loading guided by your therapist. Full return to demanding activity is usually six to twelve weeks, in step with the healing timeline.

A minority of chronic cases do not respond, and surgical options exist for those. Before considering surgery we would want to be confident the diagnosis is correct — radial nerve entrapment and referred neck pain can both mimic tennis elbow and would not respond to any tendon treatment.

Areas We Serve

Elbow Pain for Greater Los Angeles

Patients travel to our Beverly Hills office for elbow pain treatment from across Los Angeles:

Our Beverly Hills office sits on Wilshire Blvd near the Beverly Hills–Los Angeles border, with on-site, valet, and street parking.

Address

8907 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 270
Beverly Hills, CA 90211

Phone

(213) 895-4730

Hours

Mon–Thu 10am–5pm
Fri 9am–5pm
Sat & Sun Closed

Elbow pain that will not settle

If it has lasted more than three months despite rest and rehabilitation, PRP is genuinely worth discussing. Consultations are complimentary.

Book Your Consultation (213) 895-4730

Explore More