The Assessment of TECAR Therapy Efficacy to Manage Lateral Epicondylitis: A Randomized Clinical-Trial

Lateral epicondylitis, a chronic painful condition within the lateral epicondyle, is one of the most prevalent arm pathologies. To date, various therapeutic strategies have been applied to manage the condition; however, they might be accompanied by adverse effects or temporary responses. TECAR therapy, a diathermy technique, has yielded promising outcomes in numerous musculoskeletal pathologies. The current study aims to investigate the impact of TECAR therapy on lateral epicondylitis.

The current double-blinded randomized clinical trial has been conducted on 46 patients with lateral epicondylitis who were allocated into two groups of controls (treatment with 15 mg meloxicam and cock-up brace for the period of 2 weeks) and intervention who received similar treatment as well as five sessions of TECAR therapy (every other day in a week). Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) were applied to evaluate treatment response.

Both interventions led to significantly improved VAS (P < 0.001) and DASH (P < 0.001) scores, while the comparison of the groups revealed statistically significant improvement in the DASH score of the intervention groups (P < 0.05), but VAS scores did not differ (P > 0.05) by both the end of the intervention and one-month follow-up assessments.

Based on the findings of the current study, TECAR therapy is an effective modality for the treatment of lateral epicondylitis considering its remarkable influence on both pain relief and functional rehabilitation. Further studies are recommended.