Riassunto dello studio

Thirty-two patients with lateral epicondylalgia (LE) were randomized to receive Trigger Point Dry Needling (TDN; n=16) or percutaneous electrolysis (PE; n=16) once a week for 4 weeks. Additionally, both groups received 4 weeks of eccentric exercises and therapy sessions. Outcomes of interest included the following: pressure pain threshold (PPT), pain on the numerical pain rating scale (NPRS), quality of life using the Short-Form 12 [SF-12] mental and physical component scores, and elbow joint motion (i.e., supination, flexion, extension, pronation). All outcomes were measured after treatment, and at 1 and 3 months follow-up. Results revealed that elbow flexion was statistically significantly favored in the PE group vs the TDN (p=0.006) after treatment; all other outcomes were not statistically significantly different between the 2 groups after treatment (p>0.05 for all). At 1 and 3 months follow-up, NPRS pain scores, PPT, and elbow flexion scores were statistically significantly different between the 2 groups in favour of the PE group vs the TDN group (p<0.05 for all).