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Effects of Scapular Strength Exercise for Patients With Lateral Epicondylalgia

Effects of Scapular Strength Exercise for Patients With Lateral Epicondylalgia a Randomized Clinical Trial

Status
UNKNOWN
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT05373056
Enrollment
60
Registered
2022-05-13
Start date
2022-02-28
Completion date
2022-07-30
Last updated
2022-05-13

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Lateral Epicondylitis

Keywords

lateral epicondylalgia, tennis elbow, lateral epicondylitis, exercise, scapular muscle

Brief summary

the aim of the study is to determine whether a scapular strength exercise program combined with a conventional exercise program in epicondylar region in patients with lateral epicondylalgia produces statistically significant improvements in pain in the short and medium term compared to a conventional exercise program.

Detailed description

It is a single-blind clinical trial design, with third-party evaluation. There are two groups, the control group and the experimental group. In the control group, only the conventional exercise program for epicondylar muscles will be performed and the experimental group will also perform a scapular exercise program. Group assignment is randomized using the G\* POWER software program, following the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Variables related to pain, functionality, pressure pain threshold, prehensile strength and quality of life will be measured. The study will last 7 months.

Interventions

BEHAVIORALScapular program

the patient will be in prone. With the elbow extended, begin by raising the shoulder above the head, keeping the upper extremity in line with the fibers of the lower trapezius. The participant will then remain pronated with the elbow flexed at 90 degrees and the shoulder abducted and externally rotated. Starting from this position, you should exert the force towards external rotation and then return to internal rotation. For the last exercise, the subject will be placed in a standing position holding the elastic band with one hand while the other end will fix it to the ground, while stepping on it with the foot. You will start the movement with a shoulder elevation in the plane of the scapula above 120 degrees and then perform the eccentric returning to the starting position.

They will be performing a combination of concentric-eccentric type contractions adding an isometric contraction

Sponsors

University of Alcala
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
DOUBLE (Subject, Outcomes Assessor)

Intervention model description

There are two groups, the control group and the experimental group. In the control group, only the conventional exercise program for epicondylar muscles will be performed and the experimental group will also perform a scapular exercise program. Group assignment is randomized using the G\* POWER software program.

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
30 Years to 60 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* tenderness over the epicondyle. * Clinical diagnosis of LD for at least 3 months. * Positive Mills and Maudsley test

Exclusion criteria

* Patients with carpal tunnel syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, cervical root syndrome, rotator cuff tendinopathy. * Fractures or surgical history in the shoulder or elbow. * History of elbow immobilization. * Limitation in range of motion of the shoulder. * Having undergone upper limb surgery in the last 6 months * Unhealed wound in the region in the treatment area * Impairment at a cognitive level that makes understanding with the therapist impossible. * Neural entrapment of the radial nerve. * Corticosteroid infiltration in the upper limb to be treated.

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Visual Analog Scale for Pain4 weeksIt will be measured with a 10 cm long horizontal line with descriptors at each end to help subjects identify their level of pain. The participants will mark with a cross the point of the line that most corresponds to the intensity of their symptoms. When interpreting the VAS, the respondent's cross position is usually assigned a score between 0 and 10. If documented on paper, pressures can simply be transferred to a scale of 100 values using a millimeter tape measure, although division into hundredths is considered sensitive enough.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Functionality4 weeksmeasured with the patient-rated tennis elbow evaluation Questionnaire.It is made up of 15 items, 5 focused on pain and the other 10 distributed between activities of daily living (4 items) and more specific activities (6 items). The result of each item is represented on a scale from 0 (totally painless activity) to 10 (maximum pain imaginable), so the total score can vary between 0 and 150.
grip strength4 weeksmeasured by dynamometer
The Quality of the lifestyle4 weeksmeasured with The Short Form-36 Health Survey Questionnaire.It is evaluated on a scale from 0 to 100, with the highest score being the maximum possible health and well-being. Finally, a total score is obtained from the questionnaire considering a score of 0-19 = very low, 20-39 = relatively low, 40-59 = average, 60-79 = relatively high and 80-100 = very high.
pressure threshold4 weeksmeasured by pressure algometer

Countries

Spain

Contacts

Primary ContactAlejandro AY Ayuso Pablo, Msc
aayusopablo@gmail.com647396334
Backup ContactKauzar KA Abdelkader Mohamed, Msc
kauzar6a@gmail.com620188570

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026