THE EFFECTIVENESS OF SELECTED PHYSIOTHERAPEUTIC METHODS IN THE TREATMENT OF PAIN IN THE COURSE OF LATERAL EPICONDYLITIS OF THE HUMERUS

Abstract

Introduction Lateral epicondylitis, otherwise known as the tennis elbow syndrome, occurs in 1–3% of the general population, of which tennis players account for only 10%. It is one of the most common causes of upper limb pain. Currently, due to the lack of uniform and consistent therapeutic methods, various treatment techniques are used. These include techniques such as shock wave therapy, ultrasound and cryotherapy. Aim The aim of the study is to assess the effectiveness of three physiotherapeutic methods – shock wave therapy, ultrasound and cryotherapy – in reducing pain in the course of treating tennis elbow syndrome. The secondary goal is to assess the grip strength of the hand. Material and methods As a result of the review of search engines and databases, such as Polish Medical Bibliography, Google Scholar, PubMed and ScienceDirect, 10 research works from 2010–2019 were used, assessing the effectiveness of shock wave therapy, ultrasound and cryotherapy to treat lateral epicondylitis of the humerus. Results 310 people diagnosed with tennis elbow syndrome participated in the analysis. According to the results, most of the patients were female. The average age of the respondents was 45.2 years. Conclusions The research analysis proves that shock wave therapy, cryotherapy and ultrasound are effective physiotherapeutic methods in the treatment of lateral epicondylitis of the humerus. The shockwave is superior to other forms of treatment due to its shorter sessions and application time. Keywords: tennis elbow, rehabilitation, cryotherapy