Tennis elbow is a relatively common musculoskeletal disorder that can cause significant pain and disability. Treatment of the disorder is not always successful, and it often recurs or becomes chronic. More effective management options are required. There is evidence that electric microcurrent can promote tissue healing and symptom resolution in various chronic hard and soft tissue disorders, but few human studies have investigated its use with chronic tendon problems. It is an easily applied therapy with very few reports of side effects. It can be applied at home using a portable unit and, if it is clinically effective, may also prove more cost effective than other therapies. A clinical trial is planned to evaluate the therapy but, in the absence of relevant published evidence, a preliminary study is required to look for a treatment effect and inform a power calculation for sample size, The study is comparing the effects of two different forms of microcurrent treatment.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
24
primarily monophasic waveform of average amplitude 40 microamps, 1 hr daily for 3 weeks
Microcurrent delivered for 6 hours daily for 3 weeks
University of Hertfordshire
Hatfield, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom
Tissue healing as indicated by sonography
Time frame: baseline, 3 weeks, 6 weeks, 4 months
Patient rating global change
Time frame: baseline, 3 weeks, 6 weeks, 4 months
Pain free grip strength
Time frame: baseline, 3 weeks, 6 weeks, 4 months
Patient rated tennis elbow questionnaire
Time frame: baseline, 3 weeks, 6 weeks, 4 months
Adverse events
Time frame: 3 weeks, 6 weeks, 4 months
This platform is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional.