Shockwave Therapy for Tennis Elbow & Golfer’s Elbow in Huntington, NY
Elbow tendon pain that won’t quit — on the outside (tennis elbow) or the inside (golfer’s elbow)? Focused acoustic-wave therapy targets the degenerated tendon at its source to restart healing, with no surgery, no injections, and no time off your hands. Most patients need three to six short sessions.
Same day appointments may be available.
Shockwave therapy for tennis elbow is a non-invasive, FDA-cleared treatment that uses focused acoustic waves to heal the degenerated tendon on the outside of the elbow. At West Hills Chiropractic Pain Center in Huntington, NY, we use focused Storz Medical shockwave for stubborn tennis elbow (and the related golfer’s elbow) that hasn’t responded to rest, bracing, or anti-inflammatories — no surgery, no injections, and no time off your hands.
What’s actually wrong in tennis elbow
Tennis elbow — lateral epicondylitis — is pain on the outside of the elbow that flares when you grip, lift, or twist: shaking hands, turning a doorknob, carrying a grocery bag. Golfer’s elbow is the same problem on the inside of the elbow. Despite the names, you don’t need to play either sport; most cases come from everyday repetitive use — trades, desk work, lifting kids.
And like most stubborn tendon problems, it’s usually not inflammation by the time it’s chronic. The tendon has degenerated and stopped healing. That’s why bracing and ibuprofen so often take the edge off without ever truly fixing it — and why a treatment that restarts healing makes sense.
How shockwave therapy treats elbow tendon pain
Focused acoustic pulses are delivered right to the damaged tendon attachment at the elbow. The energy triggers the body’s repair response — increased blood flow, new microvessels, and reactivated tissue-building cells — turning a stalled injury back into a healing one. Our focused Storz device lets us target the precise tendon origin rather than scattering energy across the surface.
What the research shows — and an honest note on golfer’s elbow
Tennis elbow has strong evidence. A 13-trial meta-analysis (1,035 patients) found ESWT improved both pain and grip strength (Yao et al., 2020). Even more useful for deciding between options: a 2024 review comparing shockwave head-to-head with cortisone injections found that while the shot wins in the first few weeks, shockwave produced better pain and function at three and six months (Zhang et al., 2024). That durability is the whole point.
Golfer’s elbow (medial epicondylitis): we’ll be straight with you — the research here is thinner than for tennis elbow, and results have been more mixed. Shockwave can still help inner-elbow tendon pain, and it remains a reasonable non-invasive option, but we set expectations honestly and won’t oversell it. If you’d benefit more from another approach, we’ll tell you.
Are you a candidate?
A good fit if you’ve had elbow pain for more than six weeks that hasn’t resolved with rest, a counterforce brace, or anti-inflammatories — particularly if you want to avoid a cortisone shot (which research suggests works short-term but worse long-term) or surgery.
What to expect
- Evaluation to confirm the diagnosis and locate the exact tender tendon point.
- Treatment: about five to ten minutes of focused pulses to the elbow; a firm tapping you can tolerate, no numbing.
- No downtime — back to work the same day; ease off heavy gripping for a day or two.
- Three to six sessions about a week apart.
- Loading: paired with targeted forearm strengthening so the tendon rebuilds under proper stress. Relief builds over the weeks following the series.
How it compares
| Option | Treats the cause? | Long-term trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Rest / brace / NSAIDs | No — manages symptoms | Often incomplete for chronic cases |
| Cortisone injection | No — masks pain | Better short-term, worse at 3–6 months in studies; can weaken tendon |
| Surgery | Sometimes | Invasive; last resort |
| Focused shockwave | Yes — restarts repair | Better pain & function at 3–6 months vs. cortisone |
Frequently asked questions
Does it hurt?
A strong tapping over the sore spot; tolerable, no anesthesia, mild brief soreness at most.
How many sessions?
Typically three to six, about a week apart.
Is it better than a cortisone shot?
Long-term, the evidence favors shockwave — a shot may feel better for a few weeks, but shockwave shows better pain and function at three and six months.
Does it work for golfer’s elbow too?
It can help inner-elbow tendon pain, but the evidence is weaker than for tennis elbow, so we set realistic expectations and evaluate whether it’s your best option.
Can I keep working or training?
Yes — no downtime. We may ask you to ease heavy gripping briefly after each session.
Is it covered by insurance?
ESWT coverage varies by plan; often out-of-pocket. We’re upfront about cost.
What patients say
Real experiences from patients we’ve treated for tendon and joint pain at West Hills.
“That stabbing heel pain the second my feet hit the floor in the morning had been going on for almost a year. I’d tried the night splint, new orthotics, two cortisone shots — it always crept back. After a few shockwave sessions I can finally walk my dog at 6am without limping to the kitchen first. I wish I’d come in months earlier instead of just resting it and hoping.”
“I’m not even a tennis player — mine came from lifting at the gym and a desk job. Gripping a coffee mug or shaking someone’s hand would send a jolt through my forearm. My ortho offered another cortisone injection and said to give it time. Shockwave actually went after the tendon itself. Three weeks in, the morning ache is basically gone and I’m back to deadlifts.”
“I couldn’t sleep on my left side, and reaching up to a cabinet was brutal. Imaging showed a calcium deposit in the rotator cuff, and the surgical consult was already on the table. Someone suggested I try shockwave first. The difference in how I can lift my arm overhead now is night and day, and I never had to schedule the surgery.”
“As a runner, the stiffness and pain at the back of my heel was wrecking my training. Stretching, new shoes, weeks off — nothing held. What I liked is that they explained why a chronic tendon doesn’t heal on its own and how the treatment kick-starts it. I’m back to my long runs without that ‘walking on a pebble’ feeling every morning.”
Ready to fix elbow pain at the source?
Find out whether focused shockwave is the right next step for your tennis or golfer’s elbow. We’ll confirm the diagnosis and set honest expectations.