Clinical Rehabilitation 2008; 22: 601–609 An alternative approach to treating lateral epicondylitis.

Objective: To investigate the effect of noxious level electrical stimulation on pain, grip strength and functional abilities in subjects with chronic lateral epicondylitis. Design: Randomized, placebo-control, double-blinded study. Setting: Physical Therapy Department, North Georgia College and State University. Subjects: Eighteen subjects with chronic lateral epicondylitis between the ages of 24 and 72 years participated in this study. Subjects were randomly assigned into treatment or placebo groups. Interventions: Subjects received six sessions of low-frequency electrical stimulation over the palpated tender points. The intensity of electrical stimulation was set at 0 in the placebo group. Main measurements: Grip strength, functional status, pain intensity and limited activity due to pain were assessed before and after treatment. Six-month follow-up data were collected in treatment group only. Results: Both clinically and statistically significant improvements in average grip strengt