Efficacy of low-energy extracorporeal shockwave therapy and a supervised clinical exercise protocol for the treatment of chronic lateral epicondylitis: A randomised controlled study

This randomised controlled trial was designed to evaluate the efficacy of low-energy extracorporeal shockwave therapy with a supervised exercise protocol for the treatment of chronic lateral epicondylitis. Thirty patients of lateral epicondylitis were randomly placed into two groups: an experimental group (n = 15) and a control group (n = 15). The experimental group received low-energy extracorporeal shockwave therapy and supervised exercise once a week for 3 weeks, whereas the control group received a supervised exercise protocol three times a week. Both the groups were instructed to carry out a home exercise programme twice daily for 4 weeks.Outcome parameters included in this study were pain intensity, pain-free grip strength, and the Disability of Arm, Shoulder, and Hand questionnaire. Data were collected at baseline and after the end of treatment (at 4th week). There was a decline in pain, and improvements in pain-free grip strength and limb function in both groups compared with the baseline values. At the end of the treatment period, the experimental group had greater reduction in pain intensity and better improvement in limb function (p < 0.01). It can be concluded that low-energy extracorporeal shockwave therapy, when combined with regular exercise, is an effective method for reducing pain and improving upper limb function in patients with chronic lateral epicondylitis.