Affiliations: [a] Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Dokuz Eylul University Faculty of Medicine, Turkey | [b] Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Dicle University Faculty of Medicine, Diyarbakir, Turkey
Correspondence:
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Corresponding author: Ibrahim Batmaz, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Dicle University Faculty of Medicine, Diyarbakir, Turkey. Tel.: +90 0412 2488001 4714; E-mail:[email protected]
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Lateral epicondylitis (LE) is a painful condition that
affects the tendinous tissue of the lateral epicondyle of the humerus and
leads to loss of function of the affected limb. Therefore it can have a
major impact on the patient's social and personal life. Many treatments are
recommended for lateral epicondylitis; unfortunately the evidence is
limited. OBJECTIVES: The aim of study was to investigate the effect of
kinesio taping (KT) on pain, grip strength and function in patients LE. METHODS: Thirty-one (23 females, 8 males) patients with LE were included.
KT was applied twice a week for 2 weeks. Pain at rest, activity of daily
living (ADL), night and palpation on lateral epicondyle was evaluated with
the visual analog scale (VAS 0-10 cm), and the grip strength was measured
with a hand held dynamometer. The stage of the disease was evaluated by the
Nirschl score and the functional status was assessed with Patient-Rated
Forearm Evaluation Questionnaire (PRTEQ) score. These parameters were
evaluated before, at 2 weeks and 6 weeks after treatment. Patients'
satisfaction was also recorded on a Likert scale after treatment at 2 weeks
and 6 weeks. RESULTS: The average age of the patients was 43.58 ± 9.02. The
dominant limb was affected in 64.5% (20) of the patients. After the
application of KT on lateral epicondyle, there was a significant improvement
in all parameters in terms of pain, Nirschl score, hand grip strength,
patient satisfaction, and PRTEQ scores at 2 and 6 weeks. CONCLUSIONS: Kinesio taping can be an effective treatment method in
LE. This application improves pain, grip strength and functional status of
the patients with LE.
