Effects of Nirschl Exercises With and Without Mulligan Taping in Lateral Epicondylitis

Painful condition of lateral epicondyle of the humerus characterized by the inflammation of the tendons during loading of the wrist extensor muscles is a common musculoskeletal presentation in men and women between 35 and 54 years of age. The above symptom is associated with a clinical diagnosis of lateral elbow tendinopathy (LET), also known as tennis elbow or lateral epicondylalgia the two effective treatment approaches for lateral epicondylitis are Nirschl exercises and Mulligan taping. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of Nirschl exercises with or without Mulligan taping in treating lateral epicondylitis. The study design for this project employs a randomized controlled trial and a sample of individuals with lateral epicondylitis randomly assigned in one of the two groups i.e., Nirschl exercises only and Nirschl exercises with Mulligan taping. Nirschl exercises involve the eccentric strengthening of the wrist extensor muscles and forearm. The participants in both groups will receive Nirschl exercises while the second group will also receive Mulligan taping, which involves the application of tape to the lateral aspect of the elbow to offload stress during movement of the extensor tendons. Different outcome measures including pain intensity, functional disability, grip strength, range of motion will be evaluated using, PRTEE Scale, Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and Calibrated Jammer hand held dynamometer. Statistical analysis, including independent t-tests or chi-square tests, will be conducted to compare the outcomes between the two groups. The significance level will be set at p < 0.05. This study will contribute to the evidence base regarding the efficacy of Nirschl exercises and Mulligan taping in managing lateral epicondylitis and will help the clinicians and patients in deciding the best treatment approach for lateral epicondylitis.