Efficacy of radial shock wave guided by soft tissue surgery theory in the treatment of lateral epicondylitis

Abstract

Objective: To explore the efficacy of radial shock wave therapy (RSWT) for lateral epicondylitis (LE). Methods: A total of 54 cases suffering from LE from Department of Pain Medicine of Fujian Provincial Hospital between December 2017 to October 2019 were randomly assigned to experimental group (n=27) and control group (n=27). Subjects in the experimental group were applied with RSWT in the lateral elbow area plus scapular back area, while patients in control group were applied with RSWT only in the lateral elbow area. Patients in both groups underwent RSWT one session per week for four weeks. Numeric rating scale (NRS), pain-free grip (PFG) test and patient-rated tennis elbow evaluation (PRTEE) in both groups were evaluated and compared at the pre-treatment, one week, one month and three months after treatment. Results: The NRS scores at pre-treatment, one week, one month and three months after treatment in experimental group were 6.5±1.6, 4.0±1.1, 3.9±1.5, 1.7±1.1, respectively, while those in control group were 6.2±1.4, 3.8±1.3, 4.2±1.2, 2.6±1.2, respectively. Compared with those at pre-treatment, the NRS scores in both groups were significantly decreased at one week, one month and three months after treatment (all P<0.05). The PRTEE and PFG results showed significant improvement after treatment (all P<0.05). The NRS scores and PRTEE at three months after treatment in the experimental group were 18±11, 1.7±1.1, respectively, which were significantly lower than those in the control group (25±11, 2.6±1.2, respectively) (both P<0.05). Conclusions: RSWT exerts a beneficial effect on LE. Guided by the soft tissue surgery theory, RSWT in the lateral elbow area plus scapular back area produces better pain reduction and functional improvement compared with RSWT only in the lateral elbow area.