Training better than drugs and jabs in treating tennis elbow
By ANITuesday, December 21, 2010
WASHINGTON - A thesis presented at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, suggests that training and ergonomic advice are more effective than anti-inflammatory drugs and cortisone injections in treating tennis elbow, and give fewer side effects.
The thesis describes, among other topics, the selection of treatment by healthcare personnel, their experiences when treating patients with tennis elbow, and the results from a training programme for tennis elbow.
Pia Nilsson, physiotherapist and scientist at the Sahlgrenska Academy studied the results from a new structured training programme for tennis elbow.
78 patients were included in the first pilot study, which lasted for four months, while 297 patients took part in the follow-up study, which was carried out two years later.
Their treatment involved following a home-training programme in order to build up strength in the elbow muscles.
Pia Nilsson explains that ergonomic advice can enable the patient to adapt to any difficulties at work, and many can continue to work with the aid of wrist support. (ANI)
