Combined Shockwave Therapy Versus Focused Shockwave Therapy in Patients With Lateral Epicondylitis

Lateral epicondylitis, also known as "tennis elbow", is a common disease present in clinical practice. It affects 1% to 3% in the general population which can reach up to 29% in certain occupations with repetitive wrist movements. It can cause a significant functional decline with a great psychological and economic impact.

Major symptoms include decreased grip and upper-extremity strength along with pain and inflammation originating from the lateral elbow. The pathogenesis of lateral epicondylitis is still controversial, but it is known that not only the tendon of the extensor carpi radialis brevis (ECRB) muscle but also the annular ligament, lateral capsule, radial nerve and some bands of the extensor digitorum communis muscle are involved.

It was originally thought that the cause of lateral epicondylitis was an inflammatory process, which would then result in the symptoms. However, histological studies have demonstrated that, through repetitive injuries at this site, there is a degenerative process and a failure of repair in the ECRB tendon. This is more pronounced than inflammation in other structures.

A variety of therapeutic techniques have been proposed for the appropriate management of patients with lateral elbow tendinopathy including exercise, orthotics, manual therapy, passive modalities, acupuncture or a combination of them.

However, the effectiveness of each treatment option remains debatable. Extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) is a popular method in the management of common tendinopathies and has been proposed as an effective supplement to other non-invasive therapies. There are two types of extracorporeal shockwave therapy: focused shockwave therapy (FSWT) and radial shockwave therapy (RSWT). Waves that are generated for focused and radial ESWT have very different physical characteristics.