The efficacy of manipulation of the elbow joint in patients suffering from lateral epicondylitis

Abstract

The purpose of this investigation was to perform a placebo controlled, randomised clinical study to determine the efficacy of manipulative therapy of the elbow, based on motion palpation findings, in the treatment of lateral epicondylitis . Forty patients participated in the study, all of who underwent a case history, physical examination, and elbow regional examination. They were then randomly assigned to one of the two groups, so that twenty patients received manipulative therapy of the elbow, and the remainder of the patients received detuned ultrasound. All patients received 6 treatments over a 3-week period, with subjective and objective data being collected before the first, third and sixth treatments. The short-form McGill pain questionnaire and the NRS101 questionnaire where used to monitor each patients subjective response, while algometer and dynamometer readings were taken to provide objective data. Motion palpation of the symptomatic elbow was performed on all patients before treatments 1,3, and 6. Examination of the statistical data reveals that there was no significant difference in improvement between the two groups, ie. manipulative therapy of the elbow was found to be no more