Pulsed ultrasound treatment in lateral epicondylalgia

This study was carried out to explore the pain-alleviating effect of pulsed ultrasound in lateral epicondylalgia. Forty-five patients were consecutively assigned at random to two groups for pulsed ultrasound or placebo. The parameters for ultrasound were 1 MHz; 1:4; 1 W/cm2. Each session was for 10 min, two to three times weekly, ten treatments in all. Follow-ups were done after three and twelve months. The statistical analysis showed no significant differences in relation to subjective or objective outcomes between the groups after the treatment period or at the follow-ups. Our results do not support the use of pulsed ultrasound treatment with the chosen parameters in lateral epicondylalgia.