Comparison of Wrist Extension Stretching Exercise and a Wait-and-see Policy for Treatment of Lateral Epicondylitis.
- Author:
Hyuk Jin LEE
1
;
Moon Sang CHUNG
;
Sae Hoon KIM
;
Jihyeung KIM
;
Goo Hyun BAEK
Author Information
1. Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Korea.
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Lateral epicondylitis;
Stretching exercise;
Wait-and-see
- MeSH:
Elbow;
Follow-Up Studies;
Forearm;
Humans;
Wrist
- From:Journal of the Korean Society for Surgery of the Hand
2011;16(2):72-77
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of the wrist stretching exercise on the results of treatment for lateral epicondylitis by comparing with wait-and-see policy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The patients who had lateral elbow pain associated with a lateral epicondyltitis were divided into wrist extension stretching exercise group (group 1) and wait-and-see policy group (group 2). Group 1 pateitns were educated to perform the wrist stretching exercise; maintenance of the position with the elbow extended, the forearm pronated, and the wrist flexed for more than 1 minute, more than 50 times per day. Group 2 patients were educated that they reduced the activities that provoked pain. The end point of follow-up was when symptoms were disappeared completely. RESULTS: Two hundred twenty seven patients were enrolled into this study. One hundred forty eight patients were allocated to group 1, 79 patients to group 2. The mean duration of follow-up of group 1 was 10.2 weeks and group 2 was 22.6 weeks. The median survival time from symptom onset to the time of resolution was 8.0 weeks in group 1, 16.0 weeks in group 2. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that wrist stretching exercise may be more effective than the wait-and-see policy in the patients with a lateral epicondylitis. The wrist stretching exercise can be recommended as the treatment of lateral epicondylitis.
