Summary

With the advantages of non-invasive, without anesthesia and durable clinical effect.

Abstract

Purpose

To assess the clinical effect of radial extracorporeal shock wave therapy on chronic lateral epicondylitis.

Methods

50 patients with chronic lateral epicondylitis were randomly divided into extracorporeal shock wave treatment (ESWT) group (Group A) and corticosteroid injection group (Group B), with 25 cases in each group. Visual analog scale (VAS) was used to evaluate the pain degree (At rest, Provoked by palpation, At Thomsen test) before the treatment, 1 week and 6 months after the end of the treatment.

Results

Before the treatment, the difference of VAS scores, that assessed at rest, provoked by palpation and at Thomsen test, in the 2 groups were without statistical significance (P>0.05，P>0.05，P>0.05). At the 1 week after the end of the treatment, VAS scores of Group B, that assessed at rest and provoked by palpation, were lower than Group A （P<0.05，P<0.05）; but not that at Thomsen test (P>0.05). At the 6 months after the end of the treatment, VAS scores of Group A, that assessed at rest, provoked by palpation and at Thomsen test, were lower than Group B（P<0.05，P<0.05，P<0.05）. VAS scores, assessed at rest, provoked by palpation and at Thomsen test, were declined after the treatment at all phases in both 2 groups（P<0.05）. Compared with the VAS scores at 1 week after the end of the treatment, those in Group A at 6 months after the end of the treatment were dramatically declined (P<0.05), but those in Group B at 6 months after the end of the treatment were rebounded (P<0.05).

Conclusion

With the advantages of non-invasive, without anesthesia and durable clinical effect, ESWT is worthy to be popularized and applied for the treatment of lateral epicondylitis.