Steroid injections may not be the best way forward for painful tennis elbow
August 2007 Filed in: Other health
topics,
Pain
Corticosteroid injections for tennis elbow were found
to be less effective at a one-year follow-up
than either physiotherapy or no treatment (wait and
see).
Three groups of patients with tennis elbow were assigned to receive either local steroid injections or eight physiotherapy sessions plus home exercises and self-manipulation. A third group (wait and see) were told that the condition would soon resolve and that they should modify their daily activities.
At six weeks the steroid group showed the most improvement (78%) compared to 65% in the physiotherapy group and 27% in the wait and see group.
However, at one year, the steroid group reported 72% reoccurrence, while participants in the other groups had either much improved or completely recovered.
(Mobilisation with movement and exercise, corticosteroid injection, or wait and see for tennis elbow: randomised trial. BMJ, Nov 2006: 333:939).
Three groups of patients with tennis elbow were assigned to receive either local steroid injections or eight physiotherapy sessions plus home exercises and self-manipulation. A third group (wait and see) were told that the condition would soon resolve and that they should modify their daily activities.
At six weeks the steroid group showed the most improvement (78%) compared to 65% in the physiotherapy group and 27% in the wait and see group.
However, at one year, the steroid group reported 72% reoccurrence, while participants in the other groups had either much improved or completely recovered.
(Mobilisation with movement and exercise, corticosteroid injection, or wait and see for tennis elbow: randomised trial. BMJ, Nov 2006: 333:939).