Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain, Lateral Elbow Pain, Lateral Epicondylitis, Tendinopathy, Tennis Elbow
Conditions
Keywords
Illness perception, Treatment expectation, Lateral epicondylalgia, Pain catastrophizing, Fear-avoidance beliefs, Pain self-efficacy, Biopsychosocial model, Hierarchical regression
Brief summary
This cross-sectional, correlational study aims to determine the predictors of illness perception and treatment expectations in adults with chronic lateral elbow pain. Sociodemographic characteristics, clinical findings (pain intensity, pain duration, elbow-specific function) and psychosocial variables (pain self-efficacy, fear-avoidance beliefs, pain catastrophizing) will be examined as candidate predictors of two patient-centred constructs: illness perception, measured with the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire, and treatment expectation, measured with the Treatment Expectation Questionnaire. Data will be analysed using hierarchical multiple linear regression in three predictor blocks. The study is reported according to the STROBE statement.
Interventions
None listed
Sponsors
Acibadem University
Study design
Observational model
COHORT
Time perspective
CROSS_SECTIONAL
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* Aged 18 years or older * Diagnosis of lateral epicondylalgia or lateral elbow pain made by an orthopaedic surgeon or physiatrist * Pain intensity of at least 4 on the Numeric Rating Scale * Pain duration of at least 12 weeks (chronic) * Willing to provide written informed consent
Exclusion criteria
* History of any surgical procedure of the upper extremity * Cervical spine pathology * Inflammatory arthritis affecting the wrist or finger joints (e.g. rheumatoid arthritis) * Active neurological disease or radiculopathy radiating to the upper extremity * Diagnosis of fibromyalgia or another widespread pain syndrome * Currently receiving active psychiatric treatment (e.g. psychosis, severe depression) * Pregnancy * Visual or cognitive impairment of a degree that would prevent completion of the questionnaires
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Illness perception (Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire, B-IPQ) | Single assessment at enrollment (Day 1) | The B-IPQ is a 9-item self-report instrument assessing cognitive and emotional representations of illness. Eight items are rated on a 0 to 10 numeric scale covering consequences, timeline, personal control, treatment control, identity, concern, coherence and emotional representation; the ninth item is open-ended and asks about perceived causes. The total score ranges from 0 to 80, with higher scores indicating a more threatening perception of the illness. |
| Treatment expectation (Treatment Expectation Questionnaire, TEX-Q) | Single assessment at enrollment (Day 1) | The TEX-Q assesses expectations of an upcoming treatment. Fifteen scored items are rated on an 11-point scale from 0 (no expectation at all) to 10 (expecting complete recovery from treatment); six additional items are not included in scoring. Higher scores indicate higher treatment expectation. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Pain intensity (Numeric Rating Scale, NRS) | Single assessment at enrollment (Day 1) | Self-reported lateral elbow pain intensity rated from 0 (no pain) to 10 (worst imaginable pain). Higher scores indicate greater pain intensity. |
| Pain self-efficacy (Pain Self-Efficacy Questionnaire, PSEQ) | Single assessment at enrollment (Day 1) | Ten items rated on a 7-point Likert scale (0 = not at all confident, 6 = completely confident), giving a total score of 0 to 60. Higher scores indicate greater confidence in performing activities despite pain. |
| Fear-avoidance beliefs (Fear-Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire, FABQ) | Single assessment at enrollment (Day 1) | Sixteen items rated on a 7-point Likert scale from 0 (completely disagree) to 6 (completely agree), assessing beliefs about the effect of physical activity and work on pain. Higher scores indicate stronger fear-avoidance beliefs. |
| Pain catastrophizing (Pain Catastrophizing Scale, PCS) | Single assessment at enrollment (Day 1) | Thirteen items with helplessness, magnification and rumination subscales, each rated from 0 (never) to 4 (all the time), giving a total score of 0 to 52. Higher scores indicate greater pain catastrophizing. |
| Elbow pain and function (Patient-Rated Tennis Elbow Evaluation, PRTEE) | Single assessment at enrollment (Day 1) | Fifteen items covering pain (5 items) and function (6 specific activity items and 4 usual activity items) over the past week. The total score ranges from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating greater pain and loss of function. |
Countries
Turkey (Türkiye)
Contacts
CONTACTHasan Gercek, PhD
CONTACTNuray Alaca, PhD
PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORHasan Gercek, PhD
Acibadem University
Outcome results
None listed