“Tennis elbow”, lateral epicondylitis, lateral epicondylalgia. Have you ever wondered what research says about treating this condition? Enjoy the video below to learn about “tennis elbow”, and specific strategies to improve patients with lateral elbow pain.
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REFERENCES & NOTES:
Cohen M, da Rocha Motta Filho G. LATERAL EPICONDYLITIS OF THE ELBOW. Rev Bras Ortop. 2012 Jul-Aug;47(4):414-20.
Epicondylitis suggests it is an inflammatory process, however, histological analysis shows that there are degenerative changes in the tendon. The tendon most commonly involved is ECRB, with the pain arising from active wrist extension or passive flexion of the wrist when the elbow is extended.
Cullinane FL, Boocock MG, Trevelyan FC. Is eccentric exercise an effective treatment for lateral epicondylitis? A systematic review. Clin Rehabil. 2014 Jan;28(1):3-19.
Eight studies found that after performing eccentric exercise (6-8 holds or 4 sec lowering), patients reported decreased pain, improved function and grip strength.
Jiten B. Bhatt, Randal Glaser, Andre Chavez, Emmanuel Yung. (2016) Management of Lateral Epicondylalgia Targeting Scapular Muscle Power Deficits: A Case series. Journal of Hand Therapy 29:2, e5-e6.
A case series suggested that patients with lateral epicondylalgia can be managed with middle and low trapezius strength by repositioning the scapula to a more neutral position.
Day JM, Bush H, Nitz AJ, Uhl TL. Scapular muscle performance in individuals with lateral epicondylalgia. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2015 May;45(5):414-24.
28 patients with symptomatic lateral epicondylalgia and 28 controls were compared in regards to middle trapezius, lower trapezius, and serratus anterior muscle thickness. After using ultrasound imaging, this study suggests that the scapular muscles should be assessed and potentially treated in this population.
Buchanan BK, Hughes J. Tennis Elbow (Lateral Epicondylitis) [Updated 2017 May 28]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2018 Jan
A book describing the etiology, epidemiology, pathophysiology, histopathology, history and physical, evaluation, treatment, etc.