It’s clear now that cortisone is no quick fix for the inflammation in the joint in regard to tennis elbow. In fact, cortisone can be counterproductive. “For decades, tennis elbow was thought to be caused by inflammation in the tissues around the joint. Newer science, however, including biopsies of the sore tissues, shows little inflammation, except in the very early stages of the injury. Instead, it is thought to involve degeneration of the tissues: If the joint is used repeatedly and strenuously, the body cannot repair any resulting minor damage before more damage occurs, and the tendons that hold the elbow together begin to fray and buckle. The pain can be debilitating and last for months.”

Here’s an excellent piece from the NY Times blog: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2016/08/25/for-tennis-elbow-no-such-thing-as-a-quick-fix/?module=WatchingPortal&region=c-column-middle-span-region&pgType=Homepage&action=click&mediaId=thumb_square&state=standard&contentPlacement=10&version=internal&contentCollection=well.blogs.nytimes.com&contentId=http%3A%2F%2Fwell.blogs.nytimes.com%2F2016%2F08%2F25%2Ffor-tennis-elbow-no-such-thing-as-a-quick-fix%2F&eventName=Watching-article-click