Epicondylitis of the elbow involves pathologic alteration in the musculotendinous origins at the lateral or medial epicondyle. Although commonly referred to as "tennis elbow" when it occurs laterally and "golfer's elbow" when it occurs medially, the condition may in fact be caused by a variety of sports and occupational activities. The accurate diagnosis of these entities requires a thorough un...

Objective. This systematic review aimed to assess the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture for lateral epicondylitis (LE). Methods. Seven databases and the WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform Search Portal were searched to identify relevant studies. The data were extracted and assessed by two independent authors, and Review Manager Software (V.5.3) was used for data synthesis...

BACKGROUND Lateral epicondylitis is generally treated with corticosteroid injections or physiotherapy. Dutch clinical guidelines recommend a wait-and-see policy. We compared the efficacy of these approaches. METHODS Patients with lateral epicondylitis of at least 6 weeks' duration were recruited by family doctors. We randomly allocated eligible patients to 6 weeks of treatment with corticoste...

BACKGROUND Musculoskeletal disorders of the elbow, forearm, wrist and hand are associated with pain, functional impairment and decreased productivity in the general population. Combining several interventions in a multimodal program of care is reflective of current clinical practice; however there is limited evidence to support its effectiveness. The purpose of our review was to investigate the...

OBJECTIVES To determine whether minimal intervention by occupational specialists involving information about the disorder, encouragement to stay active and instruction in graded self-performed exercises could enhance the prognosis of lateral epicondylitis compared with the treatment usually given in general practice, to quantify workplace factors associated with the prognosis, and to consider t...

BACKGROUND The use of extracorporeal shock wave therapy for the treatment of lateral epicondylitis is controversial. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of extracorporeal shock wave therapy without local anesthesia to treat chronic lateral epicondylitis. METHODS One hundred and fourteen patients with a minimum six-month history of lateral epicondylitis that was unresponsive to c...

Background: Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections are part of a developing therapy believed to promote healing using the patient’s own blood components. Certain studies have shown PRP treatment to be effective in the treatment of various tendinopathies such as lateral epicondylitis. Currently there is no standard method for PRP preparation with manufacturers each claiming various benefits for t...

Context: Tennis players, as a group, exhibit a 40% to 50% chance of being diagnosed with lateral epicondylitis at some point in their career. Kinesio Tape (KT) is a popular therapeutic application that is used by athletic trainers, physical therapists and physicians to increase stimulation of mechanoreceptors in order to facilitate muscular power/strength and decrease pain, edema, and inflammat...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the interobserver reproducibility of the assessment of severity of complaints, grip strength, and pressure pain threshold in patients with lateral epicondylitis in primary care. DESIGN Two physiotherapists assessed independently, and in randomized order, the severity of complaints scored on an 11-point numeric rating scale, pain-free grip strength, maximum grip strength,...