A Tommy John (UCL) injury is a common elbow condition in throwing athletes, especially baseball players. This blog explains what the UCL is, how injuries occur, symptoms to watch for, and both non-surgical and surgical treatment options to help athletes return to play safely.

Struggling with elbow pain? Dr. John Hinchey, fellowship-trained shoulder and elbow specialist at Ortho San Antonio, explains and treats tennis and golfer’s elbow.

One of the most common elbow conditions is tennis elbow, also known as lateral epicondylitis. It is a common condition. Anyone who uses their upper extremities for a significant amount of activity, such as players of other racquet sports, golfers, is susceptible to this condition. It usually resolves by itself if we do nothing.

I had had an incident where I was surfing and it was relatively routine, I fell off my surfboard, you know, it was probably two-meter green face waves, nothing to be concerned about. As I'm getting churned underwater, I feel a snap in my right elbow, and at that point, I knew I needed to make my way back to the shore and kind of figure out what had gone on. I figured when I got home, I need to go ahead and take care of it immediately.