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The Effectiveness of Isometric Contractions Combined with Eccentric Contractions and Stretching Exercises on Pain and Disability in Lateral Elbow Tendinopathy. A Case Report

Stasinopoulos Dimitrios

Background: Eccentric and static stretching exercises have shown good clinical results in Lateral Elbow Tendinopathy (LET). However, eccentric and stretching exercises are not enough for all patients with tendinopathy. Isometric muscle contractions reduce tendon pain. No studies have been investigated the effectiveness of these two kinds of contractions and stretching exercises for the management of LET. The aim of the present case report is to present the effect of eccentric training combined with isometric contraction and static stretching exercises on pain and disability in a patient experiencing LET.

Case report: A patient with unilateral LET for 8 months was included in the present report. The patient followed an exercise programme consisted of slow progressive eccentric exercises of wrist extensors, isometric contractions of wrist extensors and static stretching of the extensor muscles of the wrist five times per week for 4 weeks. The programme was individualized on the basis of the patient’s description of pain experienced during the procedure. Outcome measures were pain, using a visual analogue scale, and function, using a visual analogue scale and the pain-free grip strength. The patients was evaluated at baseline, at the end of treatment (week 4), and 1 month (week 8) after the end of treatment.

Results: At the end of the treatment and at the follow – up there was a decline in pain and a rise in function.

Conclusions: The results of the present trial suggest that the combination of eccentric training of wrist extensors with isometric contractions of wrist extensors and static stretching exercises of wrist extensors can produce significant improvements in terms of pain and disability in LET.