Effectiveness of eccentric strengthening in the treatment of lateral elbow tendinopathy: A systematic review with meta-analysis

Review written by Todd Hargrove info

Key Points

  1. Eccentric strengthening of the wrist extensors was found to be more effective than other strengthening protocols in the treatment of lateral elbow tendinopathy (LET).
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BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE

Lateral elbow tendinopathy (LET) is a common condition in the upper limb, affecting up to 3% of the population annually. Eccentric strengthening has shown promise as a method to treat LET. Accordingly, the authors of this paper performed a meta-analysis to help determine whether eccentric strengthening is superior to other forms of strengthening and pain-relieving modalities for managing LET.

Lateral elbow tendinopathy affects up to 3% of the population annually.
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Too much rest can make tendon degeneration worse, therefore healing requires proper loading.

METHODS

Five electronic databases were searched. The authors found 8 studies involving 564 participants that met the inclusion criteria. A meta-analysis was performed using a random effects model with standardized mean differences, test of heterogeneity, and sensitivity analysis.

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