New treatment offers relief for long-lasting tendon pain

For many people, tendon pain doesn’t start with a fall or a sudden injury. It begins with a nagging ache — an elbow that won’t settle, a hip that hurts with each step, or a knee that makes everyday tasks harder than they

should be.

In Lake County, where many residents work with their hands, stay active outdoors or value their independence, that kind of pain can slowly limit daily life.

Now, residents have access to a new option close to home.

Dr. Ahrash Khajaei, a board-certified sports medicine physician at AdventHealth Waterman, is the first and only physician in Lake County to perform the TenJet procedure. It’s a minimally invasive treatment designed for long-standing tendon pain that hasn’t improved with physical therapy, bracing, medication or injections.

“Chronic tendon pain can be frustrating because it lingers and limits people in small but meaningful ways,” Khajaei said. “TenJet allows us to precisely remove damaged tendon tissue without immediately moving to open surgery.”

The procedure is used to treat several common tendon problems, such as tennis elbow, golfer’s elbow, Achilles tendon pain, jumper’s knee, chronic plantar fasciitis, rotator cuff tendon pain and hip tendon pain.

Using ultrasound guidance, Khajaei inserts a small device through a tiny incision. A controlled stream of saline removes unhealthy tissue while leaving the healthy tendon intact. The goal is to encourage the body’s natural healing response while minimizing disruption to surrounding structures.

Khajaei considers TenJet for patients whose imaging shows degenerative tendon changes rather than a sudden tear and whose symptoms continue to interfere with work, exercise or everyday routines.

“Two of my first patients had been living with tendon pain for months — one with chronic tennis elbow and another with gluteal tendinitis in the hip,” Khajaei said. “Both had tried other treatments without lasting relief. With TenJet, we’re able to remove the damaged tissue through a tiny incision and give the tendon a chance to heal before having to consider more extensive surgery.”

Recovery typically takes four to six weeks and includes physical therapy.

By offering TenJet locally, AdventHealth Waterman expands access to advanced treatment, allowing residents to seek care in their own community instead of traveling outside Lake County, an important step for a growing area where staying active is part of daily life.

The procedure is also available at other AdventHealth locations in the East Florida Division, including AdventHealth Palm Coast, where patients have already experienced relief from long-standing tendon pain.