EFFECTIVENESS OF COMPLEX REHABILITATION OF LATERAL EPICONDYLITIS OF THE ELBOW JOINT
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32782/health-2026.1.36Keywords:
lateral epicondylitis, therapeutic exercises, manual therapyAbstract
Epicondylitis of the elbow joint belongs to degenerative-inflammatory diseases of the forearm tendons at the sites of their attachment to the humeral epicondyles. There are lateral (external) and medial (internal) localizations of the disease. Lateral epicondylitis occurs in the tendons on the outer side of the elbow, caused by chronic overload of the forearm extensor muscles. The etiology of the disease is based on microtraumatization of the tendons at their attachment site due to monotonous repetitive movements (daily wrist movements lasting 2 hours or more), which are mainly observed in sports and professional activities. According to statistical data, the frequency of this disease is about 1–3% of the population, predominantly between the ages of 30 and 60. The aim of the study was to determine the effectiveness of complex treatment of lateral epicondylitis of the elbow joint using therapeutic exercises in combination with manual therapy. Materials and Methods. The experimental study was conducted at the Rivne Centre for Rehabilitation of Back and Joint Pain. The study involved sixteen patients with reduced muscle strength in the hand of the affected limb and dull pain in the lateral area of the elbow joint. Participants who gave their voluntary consent to take part in the study were randomly divided into two groups – a control group (n=8) and a main group (n=8). All participants in the experiment were men aged between 40 and 55 years with pathology of the right elbow joint. During the experiment, patients in both groups received basic treatment according to the program of the medical institution (medication therapy, immobilization with bandages and orthoses). Patients in the main group additionally followed the experimental method: twice a day for 30 minutes they performed eccentric therapeutic exercises combined with stretching exercises for the affected arm muscles. In addition, patients in the main group received 15-minute manual therapy sessions aimed at distraction and joint play of the affected elbow joint. The results of the six-week experiment showed that in patients in the main group, who underwent rehabilitation using the experimental method, the strength of the finger and hand flexor muscles (grip strength) increased by 16.9%, whereas in patients in the control group, an increase of 11.6% was observed (a difference between the groups of 5.3%). Furthermore, patients in the main group experienced a 6.9% reduction in subjective pain sensations in the elbow joint compared with the control group. Thus, the reduction in pain on the modified verbal rating scale during the Cozen test was 14.2% in the main group and 21.1% in the control group. Conclusion. Comprehensive rehabilitation for lateral epicondylitis of the elbow joint, which included stretching and eccentric strengthening of the forearm extensor muscles combined with manual therapy of the affected elbow joint, is an effective treatment method that can be recommended for practical implementation
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