Tennis elbow treatment shows promising results
Griffith University research which aims to reduce the persistent pain associated with tennis elbow, is seeing significant success. The study, carried out on the Gold Coast at the University’s new state of the art Griffith Health Centre, is trialing two promising therapies for the condition: physiotherapy treatment and a program of prolotherapy injections.
A third treatment group is comparing a combination of these two therapies, with all groups receiving active treatment.
The researchers say there has been considerable success with participants so far, across all of the treatment groups.
Associate Professor, Michael Yelland, chief investigator from the Griffith Health Institute said: “This research aims to test the effectiveness of two treatments that address the underlying causes of tennis elbow, rather than just covering up the symptoms.
“To date, we have been very pleased to see many good responses to the treatments used in the study. For example we have participants who previously had difficulty playing sport, carrying light bags or even using a computer and who are now able to do these activities completely unrestricted.
“Tennis elbow is traditionally a difficult condition to cure, so we want to see if these treatments can give lasting results and whether combining them is better than using them on their own.
“It may be that a combination of the two therapies will be better than each one alone but we are aiming to see which is the more effective of the three different treatments.
One in 10 people will have this type of tendon injury during their lifetime.
Adults aged 18 to 70 years who have had pain on the outside of their elbow for at least six weeks and who have not had other treatments for the previous 12 weeks, are invited to participate in the trial which is seeking further participants from the Gold Coast region.
The treatments include free follow up care for participants, including a complementary (should this be complimentary?) ultrasound and physical testing which aims to keep participants well informed of their progress as they recover.
The initial assessment of people interested in joining the study is also free and can be beneficial even for those who are deemed not suitable for the treatments offered.
For more information, contact research officer Marnie Ryan on 0411 799 675 or tenniselbowpain@gmail.com. You can also visit the Tennis Elbow Study Facebook page for more details.
