DOI: https://doi.org/10.36347/sasjm.2025.v11i05.014

Pages: 457-463

Background: Lateral epicondylitis, commonly known as tennis elbow, is a painful condition characterized by localized tenderness over the lateral epicondyle, often associated with repetitive wrist extension activities. Various conservative treatments exist, but none have shown consistent efficacy. This study aimed to evaluate the short-term effectiveness of extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) in patients with lateral epicondylitis. Methods: This quasi-experimental study was conducted at the Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Dhaka Medical College Hospital, from July to December 2019. A total of 45 patients aged 18–69 years with clinically diagnosed lateral epicondylitis were included using purposive sampling. All patients received ESWT once weekly for four weeks. Outcome measures included handgrip strength and pain severity using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) at rest, with compression, and during activities of daily living (ADL). Assessments were done at baseline, after 2 weeks, and after 4 weeks of treatment. Results: The mean age of participants was 40.29 ± 11.73 years, with a slight male predominance (53.3%). A significant improvement was observed in handgrip strength from 38.98 ± 10.54 Kg at baseline to 45.58 ± 9.66 Kg at 4 weeks (p<0.05). Resting VAS, VAS with compression, and VAS during ADL also showed statistically significant reductions over the follow-up period. Conclusion: ESWT demonstrated significant short-term benefits in improving pain and functional outcomes in lateral epicondylitis and can be considered a promising alternative to conventional therapies. However, further multicenter randomized controlled trials are recommended for validation.