What is a tennis elbow injection?
A tennis elbow injection places medication at the common extensor tendon on the outer elbow, where the damage that causes tennis elbow sits. It is usually a steroid with local anaesthetic, or PRP made from your own blood. Here it is placed under ultrasound guidance after a diagnostic scan of the tendon.
Does a steroid injection help tennis elbow?
It usually eases pain quickly, often within days. But research shows the benefit in tennis elbow is often short-lived, and the pain can be more likely to return later than with exercise alone. It can be useful to settle severe pain so you can start rehabilitation, and your consultant will discuss the trade-off honestly.
Does PRP work for tennis elbow?
Tennis elbow is one of the conditions where PRP has been studied most, and several trials suggest it can give longer-lasting improvement than steroid for chronic cases. The evidence is still developing and it does not help everyone. Improvement builds over several weeks, alongside a loading exercise programme.
Steroid or PRP for tennis elbow: which is better?
Steroid works faster but tends to wear off. PRP works more slowly but aims to support healing, and is often preferred for tennis elbow that has lasted several months. Your consultant recommends one after seeing the tendon on the scan and hearing how long it has lasted.
Do steroid injections help golfer’s elbow?
Golfer’s elbow behaves much like tennis elbow on the inner side of the elbow. A steroid injection can ease pain in the short term, and exercises are the foundation of long-term recovery. Ultrasound guidance matters here, as the ulnar nerve runs close by.
Is a tennis elbow injection painful?
Most people find it manageable. Local anaesthetic numbs the area, so you feel a sting, then pressure. The elbow often aches for a day or two after a steroid injection, and for two to three days after PRP.
How long does a steroid injection in the elbow take to work?
The local anaesthetic can ease pain within minutes, then wears off after a few hours. The steroid usually starts working within a few days. PRP is slower: improvement builds over four to twelve weeks.
How long does a tennis elbow injection last?
A steroid injection often helps for several weeks. PRP can give improvement lasting many months when combined with exercises. Most tennis elbow eventually settles, often within a year, and treatment aims to make that time easier.
How many PRP injections do I need for tennis elbow?
Many people need just one, and some benefit from a second injection a few weeks later. Your consultant reviews your progress and only recommends another if it is likely to help.
What should I do after an elbow injection?
Avoid heavy gripping, lifting and racket sports for 48 hours after a steroid injection, or a few days after PRP. Then start the loading exercises you are given and build up gradually. Use paracetamol rather than ibuprofen for soreness if you have had PRP.
Does golfer’s or tennis elbow need surgery?
Rarely. Most cases settle with time, activity changes, exercises and, where needed, an injection. Surgery is usually only considered when symptoms have lasted six to twelve months or more despite good treatment. Your consultant can refer you to an upper-limb surgeon if that point is reached.
How much does an elbow injection cost?
At Harley Street Ultrasound a steroid injection for tennis or golfer’s elbow is £525 and a PRP elbow injection is £545, all fees inclusive: the consultant assessment, diagnostic ultrasound, the guided injection and your written report.
What happens if I don’t need an injection?
We will never give you an injection you do not need. Every appointment starts with a diagnostic ultrasound of your elbow, and if your consultant decides an injection is not the right treatment, it simply does not go ahead. You are charged our standard diagnostic ultrasound rate, not the treatment price.
You still leave with a clear plan: physiotherapy, a different treatment, an MRI, or a referral to the right specialist, with your report and images on your secure portal.
Do I need a referral?
No. Harley Street Ultrasound is a private clinic, so you can book an ultrasound-guided elbow injection in London directly, online or by phone: no GP letter and no waiting list. If you are searching for elbow injections near me in central London, we are at 99 Harley Street, a short walk from Regent’s Park and Oxford Circus stations.
Prices are published before you book and are all fees inclusive: the consultant assessment, the diagnostic ultrasound, the guided injection, local anaesthetic and your written report. Insured patients should check with their insurer and bring an authorisation number if their policy requires one.
Will I get a report?
Yes. Your consultant explains the scan findings and the treatment in the room, and a written report with your images is published to your secure patient portal, usually the same day, ready to share with your GP, physiotherapist or surgeon.
Can I drive home afterwards?
Usually, yes: there is no sedation or general anaesthetic. The local anaesthetic can leave the area numb for a few hours, so if the injection is in your right leg or foot, or the joint feels weak, it is sensible to arrange a lift or take public transport.
Can I still use the NHS afterwards?
Yes: completely. Coming to us privately never affects your NHS care. Your report and images can be shared with your NHS GP or consultant, and if anything needs onward NHS care, your consultant writes to your GP so you re-enter the pathway with a diagnosis already in hand.
