Effectiveness of eccentric strengthening in the treatment of lateral elbow tendinopathy: A systematic review with meta-analysis

Abstract

Study design: Meta-analysis.

Introduction: Lateral elbow tendinopathy is a common condition with an annual incidence of up to 3% of the population. Eccentric strengthening has shown promise as a method to treat lateral elbow tendinopathy, but is unclear if it is superior to other forms of treatment.

Purpose of the study: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of eccentric strengthening compared with other forms of strengthening and pain-relieving modalities on pain, strength, and function in people with lateral elbow tendinopathy.

Methods: Five electronic databases were searched. Reference lists of selected articles were hand-searched. Outcomes were defined a priori. Meta-analyses were performed using a random effects model with standardized mean differences, test of heterogeneity, and sensitivity analyses.

Results: Eight articles were included in this review. When comparing eccentric strengthening to other forms of strengthening and pain-relieving modalities, there were significant large effect size of 1.12 (CI: 0.31-1.93) and 1.22 (CI: 0.25-2.18) in reducing pain and improving function in the short-term, respectively. In long-term, results were inconclusive on all outcomes.

Discussion: A treatment program using eccentric strengthening of adequate intensity and duration seemed to be most effective for treating lateral elbow tendinopathy.

Conclusions: The state of science of best care for lateral elbow tendinopathy is still in its infancy. Large, high-quality randomized controlled trials with clearly defined strengthening regime are needed to determine optimal dosage to maximize treatment effects. Recommendations were provided based on careful synthesis of findings from this review and current evidence in literature.

Keywords: Eccentric strengthening; Function; Lateral elbow tendinopathy; Pain; Strength.