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Acupuncture as an Adjunct Treatment for Lateral Epicondylitis
Sponsor: Enver Guven
Summary
Lateral epicondylitis, commonly known as tennis elbow, can cause pain and reduced hand and wrist function. This study evaluated whether adding acupuncture to a conservative rehabilitation program provides additional benefits for adults with lateral epicondylitis. Participants were randomly assigned to one of two treatment groups. One group received acupuncture in addition to kinesio taping, a wrist orthosis, and a home exercise program. The other group received the same kinesio taping, wrist orthosis, and exercise program without acupuncture. Acupuncture was applied twice weekly for three weeks, for a total of six sessions. Participants were assessed before treatment, at the end of the third week, and at three months. Outcomes included pain intensity, active wrist flexion and extension range of motion, pinch strength, and hand grip strength. The study aimed to determine whether acupuncture provides additional benefits when combined with standard conservative rehabilitation for lateral epicondylitis.
Official title: Effectiveness of Acupuncture in the Treatment of Lateral Epicondylitis: A Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing Kinesiotape, Orthosis, and Exercise
Key Details
Gender
All
Age Range
18 Years - 65 Years
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Enrollment
36
Start Date
2025-04-05
Completion Date
2025-09-12
Last Updated
2026-09-28
Healthy Volunteers
No
Conditions
Interventions
Acupuncture
Acupuncture was administered twice weekly for 3 weeks, for a total of 6 sessions. Local and regional points included Ah-shi, Large Intestine 10 (LI10), Large Intestine 11 (LI11), and Lung 5 (LU5); distal and segmental points included Large Intestine 4 (LI4), San Jiao 5 (SJ5), Small Intestine 3 (SI3), Gallbladder 34 (GB34), and Liver 3 (LIV3). Sterile filiform needles were retained for 20-25 minutes and manually stimulated at approximately 5-minute intervals to elicit or maintain deqi.
Kinesio Taping
Kinesio taping was applied once weekly for 3 weeks. A 5-cm elastic therapeutic tape was applied with no stretch on the anchors and approximately 15-25% stretch over the therapeutic segments. An X/donut strip was centered over the lateral epicondyle and a Y-strip was applied along the wrist extensor muscle group.
Volar Wrist Orthosis
A custom low-temperature thermoplastic volar wrist cock-up orthosis was fabricated with the wrist positioned at approximately 15-20 degrees of extension. Participants were instructed to wear the orthosis during daytime activities for 6 weeks, removing it for hygiene and skin checks.
Home-Based Exercise Program
The home-based exercise program focused on eccentric wrist extensor strengthening and progressive grip exercises. Eccentric wrist extension was initiated with 0.5 kg and progressed in repetitions and load. Grip exercises using therapeutic putty were progressively performed with the elbow flexed and then extended, in supination, neutral, and pronation positions.
Locations (1)
Traditional and Complementary Medicine Clinic
Ankara, Ankara, Turkey (Türkiye)