Efficacy of Current Physiotherapy Approaches Used in Lateral Epicondylitis Rehabilitation on Pain and Function

Abstract

Lateral epicondylitis, also known as the tennis elbow, develops at the attachment of the wrist extensor tendons to the lateral epicondyle of the humerus and is characterized by reduced muscle strength and limited range of motion associated with localized inflammation. Lateral epicondylitis leads significant pain and loss of function. Approximately 10% of the individuals working with arm strength experience lateral elbow pain and 2.4% of them had confirmed diagnosis of lateral epicondylitis. Thus, this disease is also recognized as an important public health problem. Although the signs of lateral epicondylitis are clear and its diagnosis is easy, there is no definitive rehabilitation method that is accepted and is applied by all clinicians. Therefore, it is an important necessity to identify current physiotherapy approaches especially with high effectiveness on pain and function in the rehabilitation process of lateral epicondylitis. Hence, the present review aims to examine the effectiveness of current physiotherapy approaches used in the rehabilitation of lateral epicondylitis on pain and function and to contribute to the available literature.

Keywords

• Tennis elbow
• pain
• function
• physiotherapy

Lateral Epikondilit Rehabilitasyonunda Kullanılan Güncel Fizyoterapi Yaklaşımlarının Ağrı ve Fonksiyon Üzerine Etkinliği

Abstract

Tenisçi dirseği olarak da bilinen lateral epikondilit, el bileği ekstansör tendonlarının humerusun lateral epikondiline yapışma yerinde gelişir ve lokalize inflamasyon ile ilişkili azalmış kas gücü ve sınırlanmış eklem hareket açıklığı ile karakterizedir. Lateral epikondilit önemli derecede ağrı ve fonksiyon kaybına yol açmaktadır. Kol gücüyle çalışan bireylerin yaklaşık %10’u lateral dirsek ağrısı deneyimlemektedir ve %2,4’ü doğrulanmış lateral epikondilit teşhisine sahiptir. Bu nedenle, bu hastalık aynı zamanda önemli bir halk sağlığı problemi olarak kabul edilmektedir. Lateral epikondilitin bulgularının net ve teşhisinin kolay olmasına rağmen, tüm klinisyenler tarafından kabul edilen ve uygulanan kesin bir rehabilitasyon yöntemi bulunmamaktadır. Dolayısıyla, lateral epikondilit rehabilitasyonu sürecinde özellikle ağrı ve fonksiyon üzerine etkinliği yüksek olan güncel fizyoterapi yaklaşımlarının belirlenmesi önemli bir gerekliliktir. Bu doğrultuda, bu derleme; lateral epikondilit rehabilitasyonunda kullanılan güncel fizyoterapi yaklaşımlarının ağrı ve fonksiyon üzerine olan etkinliğini incelemeyi ve mevcut literatüre katkı sağlamayı amaçlamaktadır.

Keywords

• tenisçi dirseği
• ağrı
• fonksiyon
• fizyoterapi

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