Introduction

Tennis elbow — or lateral epicondylitis — is a condition that can be frustrating for both patients and clinicians. It often starts as a minor overuse injury but, in some cases, becomes a chronic, debilitating problem that resists standard treatments.

In my practice at Sheen Vein and Cosmetics, I often meet patients who have “tried everything” for their pain — from steroid injections to months of physical therapy — only to find themselves back where they started. This is the story of one such patient: a woman who lived with chronic tennis elbow for more than 20 years before finally finding long-term relief with photobiomodulation (PBM) therapy.

The Patient’s History

This patient, a 50-year-old woman, had been battling tennis elbow since her late 20s. Over the years, she tried:

• Steroid injections – temporary relief, but pain always returned within weeks to months.
• Physical therapy – helpful for mobility but never eliminated the discomfort.
• Oral pain medications – only dulled the symptoms and carried the risk of side effects.
• Topical analgesics – provided short-term numbing but no lasting benefit.

Despite these efforts, her pain persisted. She described her elbow as constantly sore, achy, and tender, flaring up with lifting, gripping, or even simple household tasks.

This condition not only limited her activities but also affected her mood. After two decades of living with discomfort, she was understandably skeptical that anything could truly help.

Understanding Tennis Elbow

Tennis elbow occurs when the tendons connecting the forearm muscles to the outside of the elbow become irritated and degenerate from overuse. Despite the name, you don’t have to play tennis to get it — any repetitive wrist and arm motion can trigger the condition.

Symptoms include:

• Pain or burning on the outer elbow
• Weak grip strength
• Discomfort when lifting, twisting, or carrying objects

When tennis elbow becomes chronic, the tendon fibers undergo degenerative changes. In these cases, simply resting the joint or treating inflammation is not enough — you need to stimulate true tissue repair.

When She Found Our Clinic

By the time she came to see me at Sheen Vein and Cosmetics, she had accepted her elbow pain as a permanent part of life. Still, she was open to exploring new options.

During our consultation, I explained that while most conventional treatments focus on reducing inflammation, they don’t always address the cellular and structural repair needed for long-standing tendon injuries.

That’s where photobiomodulation therapy comes in.

What Is Photobiomodulation (PBM)?

Photobiomodulation (PBM) — sometimes called low-level laser therapy or red light therapy — uses specific wavelengths of red and near-infrared light to:

• Stimulate mitochondrial energy production (ATP) in cells
• Reduce oxidative stress and inflammation
• Increase blood flow and oxygen delivery to tissues
• Promote collagen synthesis for tendon repair

In tendon injuries like chronic tennis elbow, PBM works at the cellular level to encourage regeneration of damaged fibers — something that other treatments often fail to do.

The Treatment Plan

We designed a plan for her consisting of three PBM treatments targeted directly to the affected elbow. Each session was painless, lasted about 15–20 minutes, and required no downtime.

Treatment 1:

After the first session, she reported some improvement — the constant ache felt slightly reduced, and she could move her elbow with less discomfort.

Treatment 2:

By the second treatment, the improvement was dramatic. She said her pain had been cut to almost nothing. Everyday activities like lifting grocery bags or opening jars no longer triggered sharp discomfort.

Treatment 3:

After her third PBM session, she reported complete resolution of pain. She could fully extend, grip, and use her arm without any hesitation. For the first time in over 20 years, she felt like she had her elbow back.

The Long-Term Results

We followed up with her regularly after treatment. The most remarkable part of her story is this:

Even four years later, her tennis elbow pain has not returned.

She has full function of her elbow, participates in all the activities she enjoys, and has not needed any additional treatment for the condition since her PBM series.

Why PBM Worked When Other Treatments Failed

Many chronic tendon injuries reach a point where inflammation is no longer the main issue — instead, the tendon fibers are degenerative and poorly vascularized. Steroid injections may calm symptoms temporarily, but they don’t repair the damaged tissue and, over time, may even weaken it further.

PBM, on the other hand:

• Stimulates true tissue repair by boosting mitochondrial energy production.
• Improves microcirculation, delivering oxygen and nutrients to the tendon.
• Encourages collagen remodeling, restoring tendon structure and strength.
• Reduces nerve hypersensitivity, lowering pain signals from the affected area.

In this patient’s case, PBM didn’t just mask symptoms — it helped her elbow heal at a cellular level, providing lasting relief.

The Science Behind PBM and Tendon Healing

Multiple studies have shown PBM to be effective in tendon injuries:

• Increased fibroblast activity → better collagen production and tendon fiber alignment.
• Reduced inflammatory cytokines → less swelling and pain.
• Enhanced angiogenesis → more blood vessels supplying nutrients to the healing area.

For chronic lateral epicondylitis, these effects can mean the difference between years of frustration and a true resolution.

Who Can Benefit from PBM for Tennis Elbow?

PBM may be especially beneficial for:

• Patients with long-standing elbow pain unresponsive to traditional therapies.
• Those who want to avoid repeated steroid injections or surgery.
• Athletes or active individuals looking to return to activity quickly.
• People seeking a non-invasive, drug-free treatment option.

What Patients Can Expect from PBM at Sheen Vein and Cosmetics

At our clinic, PBM treatments are:

• Comfortable – patients typically feel a gentle warmth in the treatment area.
• Quick – most sessions take less than 20 minutes.
• Non-disruptive – no downtime; normal activities can be resumed immediately.
• Cumulative – improvements often build over a short series of treatments.

Lessons from This Case

1. Don’t give up on chronic injuries. Even after 20 years, tissue healing is possible with the right stimulus.
2. Look beyond inflammation. Chronic tendon pain often needs regenerative stimulation, not just symptom suppression.
3. PBM can be game-changing. For the right patient, it can provide fast, lasting relief without drugs or surgery.

Conclusion

This patient’s journey is a powerful reminder that even decades-old injuries can respond to the right treatment. At Sheen Vein and Cosmetics, we use photobiomodulation to not only relieve pain but also restore function by targeting the root cause at a cellular level.

For this 50-year-old woman, three short PBM sessions ended 20 years of tennis elbow pain — and the results have lasted for more than four years. Today, she enjoys full elbow function and lives without the daily reminder of chronic pain.

If you’ve been told you “just have to live with it,” know that there are innovative, non-invasive solutions that can restore your quality of life. Photobiomodulation may be the step that changes everything.

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