Abstract
Background: The study investigated the analgesic effectiveness, the reduction in the intake of painkillers and an improvement in physical activity after local cryotherapy in tennis elbow (TE). Material/Methods: The research group comprised patients of the Physiotherapy Patients diagnosed with so-called tennis elbow were referred to physical therapy treatments by specialist doctors. 34 patients were examined (26 women, 8 men), aged 36-59 years, who were then divided into two groups: Group X (17 persons) – treated with local cryotherapy (10 treatments over 2 weeks), Group Y (17 persons ) – the control group with no therapeutic procedures conducted for a period of 2 weeks. Materials for the quantitative analysis in the study were obtained by means of the Laitinen questionnaire and the VAS scale. Results: Results of the analysis showed significant differences between the intensity of pain experienced by the subjects, the range of received analgesics, and the difference in physical activity before the therapy and after its completion. Tests of scheduled comparisons showed a substantial decline in values among the subjects for both the combined therapy (p = 0.000) and local cryotherapy (p = 0.000). Conclusions: The analgesic effect of the combined therapy and local cryotherapy resulted in reducing the intake of analgesics and an improvement in physical activity of patients TE.
Recommended Citation
Kawa M, Kowza-Dzwonkowska M. Local cryotherapy in tennis elbow (lateral epicodylitis). Balt J Health Phys Act. 2015; 7(3): 73-87. doi: 10.29359/BJHPA.07.3.08
DOI
10.29359/BJHPA.07.3.08
Author ORCID Identifier
Malgorzata Kawa https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7925-207X; Malgorzata Kowza-Dzwonkowska https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3071-7972
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Included in
Health and Physical Education Commons, Sports Medicine Commons, Sports Sciences Commons, Sports Studies Commons
