If you’ve been nursing a sore, stiff, and persistently aching elbow—especially if you repeat the same arm motions at work or during sports—chances are you’re all too familiar with tennis elbow, also known as lateral epicondylitis. Despite the name, you don’t have to play a single set to develop it. This common overuse injury affects everyone from athletes and manual laborers to desk workers and weekend warriors.
What begins as mild discomfort can slowly morph into a nagging pain that disrupts your daily life and refuses to go away with rest, ice, or over-the-counter medications. That’s where medical interventions come into play—and two popular options tend to lead the conversation: steroid injections and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy.
But which one is truly effective? Which offers long-term relief? Most importantly, what is the best investment for your health and lifestyle?
In this deep dive, we’ll compare these two treatment modalities in theory and how long their benefits last. We will also help you understand when it’s time to seek professional help from the experts at PRP Treatment Beverly Hills.
What is Tennis Elbow and Why Is It So Persistent?
Tennis elbow, or lateral epicondylitis, is an injury to the tendons that attach to the elbow’s lateral (outer) part. It’s caused by repetitive motion—most often of the wrist and forearm—that leads to small tears in the tendon, inflammation, and ultimately, pain that worsens over time. Simple tasks like turning a doorknob, shaking hands, or lifting a coffee mug can become uncomfortable or downright painful.
Tennis elbow rarely goes away on its own, especially once the condition has become chronic. Tendons heal slowly due to their limited blood supply, and many people delay treatment until the condition significantly worsens. Moreover, because the pain tends to wax and wane, people may underestimate its severity until it becomes limiting.
This persistence is what makes tennis elbow frustrating. Rest and anti-inflammatory medications can help temporarily, but they’re simply not enough for many. And that’s when treatments like steroid injections or PRP therapy are discussed.
Steroid Injections: Fast but Fleeting Relief
Corticosteroid injections have been a go-to option for tennis elbow for decades. These injections work by rapidly reducing inflammation in the affected area. The result is often quick pain relief, sometimes within a day or two.
However, the appeal of fast results can be deceptive. Studies have shown that while steroid injections may reduce pain in the short term, the benefits are typically short-lived, lasting anywhere from 4 to 6 weeks, sometimes up to three months. And then? The pain may return, often as bad as before, sometimes worse.
Why does this happen? Because while steroids reduce inflammation, they don’t address the root cause, which is the microscopic degeneration of the tendon tissue. Even worse, repeated steroid use can weaken tendons and delay proper healing.
Steroids can seem attractive for people looking for a “quick fix” or needing fast relief for an event or a work deadline. But for those who want to treat the cause, not just the symptoms, they may not be the most sustainable solution.
PRP (Platelet-Rich Plasma): Healing at the Cellular Level
In recent years, PRP therapy has surged in popularity among elite athletes and everyday people desperate for long-lasting, non-surgical solutions to stubborn joint and tendon issues. The tennis elbow is one of the most promising use cases for PRP.
Here’s how it works: A small amount of your blood is drawn and spun in a centrifuge to isolate the platelet-rich plasma, which is loaded with growth factors and healing proteins. This concentrated plasma is injected directly into the affected area, kickstarting a natural healing process at the cellular level.
Unlike steroids, PRP doesn’t just mask the pain. It stimulates tissue regeneration, helping repair the tiny tears in the tendon and improving overall tendon health. While results aren’t instant (you may start feeling better within a few weeks), the effects are typically longer-lasting.
So, how long does PRP last for tennis elbow? Clinical studies and patient reports suggest relief can last six months to over a year, often with just one or two treatments. And because PRP is derived from your blood, the risk of side effects is minimal.
More importantly, PRP treats the underlying degeneration, not just the surface-level inflammation. This makes it especially valuable for chronic cases that haven’t responded well to rest, physical therapy, or steroid shots.
Head-to-Head: PRP vs. Steroids for Tennis Elbow
Let’s get to the meat of the matter: which treatment lasts longer and offers better results?
In randomized controlled trials comparing PRP to corticosteroids for lateral epicondylitis, PRP consistently outperformed steroids over the long term. Patients treated with PRP reported better pain scores, improved grip strength, and greater overall function at 6- and 12-month follow-ups.
Steroid injections, while initially effective, tended to lose their edge after 4–6 weeks, and many patients required repeat injections. This increases the risk of tendon damage and highlights a central issue: symptom suppression without healing.
So, if your goal is short-term comfort—maybe to get through a big event or tournament—steroids might give you that window. But if you’re in this for sustainable healing, fewer relapses, and real recovery, PRP is likely the better long-term investment.
Factors to Consider Before Choosing a Treatment
Of course, no treatment is one-size-fits-all. Your choice between steroid injections and PRP should take into account:
- Severity and Chronicity of Symptoms
If you’ve had elbow pain for just a few weeks, conservative care or a one-time steroid shot may be enough. But if the pain has lingered for months, PRP might be the smarter approach. - Lifestyle and Activity Level
Athletes, active professionals, and people with physically demanding jobs benefit more from PRP’s regenerative effects, especially if they want to avoid recurrence or time off work. - Timeline and Expectations
Steroids act fast but fade quickly. PRP takes longer to kick in, but lasts significantly longer. Are you trying to solve the problem or just quiet it temporarily? - Budget and Insurance
Steroid injections are usually covered by insurance. PRP is often considered “experimental” and may be an out-of-pocket expense. But for many patients, the long-term benefits and reduced need for repeat treatments make it worth every penny. - Risk Tolerance
Steroids carry a risk of tendon weakening, skin thinning, and even joint damage with repeated use. Being autologous (from your own body), PRP has a very low risk profile.
When to Talk to a Specialist
Tennis elbow isn’t just annoying—it can be debilitating, especially when it starts interfering with your sleep, job, or hobbies. If you’ve tried rest, ice, braces, and physical therapy with no lasting improvement, it’s time to speak to a medical expert.
At PRP Treatment Beverly Hills, our specialists offer comprehensive evaluations to determine the root cause of your pain. Whether it’s early-stage inflammation or chronic tendon degeneration, our team will guide you toward the most effective treatment, tailored to your lifestyle, timeline, and long-term goals.
We don’t believe in Band-Aid fixes. We believe in targeted, regenerative healing, and PRP therapy is at the heart of that mission.
Final Thoughts
In the battle between steroid injections and PRP for tennis elbow, the choice ultimately comes down to one question: Do you want fast relief or lasting recovery?
Steroids offer the appeal of instant gratification, but that relief is often short-lived and may come at a cost. While slower to act, PRP delivers deeper, longer-lasting healing by addressing the true source of the pain.
If you’re ready to stop treating the symptoms and start healing from the inside out, schedule a consultation at PRP Treatment Beverly Hills today. Our expert team is here to help you reclaim your mobility, strength, and life, with science-backed treatments that truly last.
Don’t settle for short-term fixes. Choose a path to real, lasting recovery. Your elbow—and your future—deserve it.
