Comparison of the effectiveness of radial extracorporeal shock wave therapy and supervised exercises with neuromuscular inhibition technique in lateral epicondylitis: A randomized-controlled trial.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the effects of radial extracorporeal shock wave therapy (rESWT) and supervised exercises with neuromuscular inhibition (NMI) technique in improving pain, function, and grip strength in the treatment of patients with lateral epicondylitis (LE). PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 50 patients with LE (11 males, 30 females; median age: 46 years; range, 23 to 57 years) whose symptoms persisted for at least three months between February 2015 and August 2015 were included in the prospective, randomized-controlled, clinical study. The patients were divided into two groups as the rESWT group (n=25) receiving a total of three rESWT sessions (once per week with 1.8 bar pneumatic pressure, 10 Hz frequency, and with 2,000 pulses) and the exercise group (n=25) receiving supervised exercises with NMI (three times per week for three weeks). Pain and function were evaluated using Visual Analog Scale, the total Patient-Rated Tennis Elbow Evaluation, the Roles and Maudsley score, while the grip strength was evaluated using a hand dynamometer at one and three months after treatment compared to baseline. RESULTS: A significant improvement was observed in all outcome criteria at one and three months after treatment, compared to baseline, in both the rESWT and exercise groups (p<0.05). There was no significant difference in terms of the changes in the outcome criteria between the groups (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: The rESWT seems to provide no significantly superior benefit than supervised exercises with NMI at least until the three months in the treatment of LE.

Manual Lymphatic Drainage May Not Have an Additional Effect on the Intensive Phase of Breast Cancer-Related Lymphedema: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL) is a potentially debilitating complication of breast cancer and its treatment. The aim of this study was to determine the efficacy of manual lymphatic drainage (MLD) added to multilayer compressive bandage treatment in addition to an exercise program, on arm volume, subjective symptoms, upper limb functions, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with BCRL. Methods: This prospective, randomized, single-blind interventional trial involved 54 patients with BCRL. Eligible patients were randomly allocated to a complex decongestive therapy (CDT) group (n = 27) and a standard therapy (ST) group (n = 27). Both groups participated in a 15-session program (every weekday for 3 weeks) that included compressive multilayer bandaging and exercise training. The patients who were allocated to the CDT group received MLD before bandaging in addition to the ST. Bilateral arm circumferences were measured using a measuring tape at six reference points. Subjective symptoms, such as discomfort, heaviness, and swelling severity were measured using a visual analog scale (VAS). Upper limb functions and HRQoL were assessed using the Quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (Quick-DASH) and Lymphedema Functioning, Disability, and Health Questionnaire (Lymph-ICF), respectively. Results: The excess arm volume, percent change of excess arm volume, Quick-DASH scores, and Lymph-ICF subscale scores significantly decreased (p < 0.001) in both treatment groups. However, there was no significant difference between the two groups (p > 0.05) in terms of changes in these outcomes. The VAS discomfort (p = 0.015) and VAS heaviness (p = 0.014) scores decreased significantly in the CDT group compared to the ST group. Conclusion: The study findings indicated that both treatment approaches were effective in patients with BRCL. However, no additional effect of MLD was found with regard to percent reduction in arm volume in the intensive treatment period of BRCL.