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Comparison of the Effectiveness of Blood Flow Restriction Exercise and Eccentric Exercise in Lateral Epicondylitis

NCT07627932 · Status: COMPLETED · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 27

Last updated 2026-06-04

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

This study compared three different treatment approaches for lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow), a common condition that causes pain on the outside of the elbow.Twenty-seven patients diagnosed with lateral epicondylitis were randomly assigned to one of three treatment groups for 6 weeks:Group 1 - Blood Flow Restriction Exercise (BFRE): Patients performed wrist strengthening exercises using light weights (30% of their maximum capacity) while wearing a pressure cuff on the upper arm that partially restricted blood flow. Sessions were held twice per week under supervision, along with daily stretching exercises and a wrist orthosis.Group 2 - Eccentric Exercise: Patients performed slow lowering (eccentric) wrist exercises using heavier weights (70% of their maximum capacity) five times per week under supervision, along with daily stretching exercises and a wrist orthosis.Group 3 - Orthosis Only: Patients wore a wrist orthosis that held the wrist in a slightly extended position throughout the day and performed daily stretching exercises at home.The main goal was to determine whether blood flow restriction exercise could reduce pain and improve hand function more effectively than eccentric exercise or orthosis use alone. Pain levels, hand grip strength, finger pinch strength, and upper limb function were measured before and after the 6-week treatment period.The study was conducted at Dokuz Eylül University, Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, İzmir, Turkey.

Conditions

  • Lateral Epicondylitis

Interventions

OTHER

Blood flow restriction

Participants in the BFRE group performed low-load wrist extensor strengthening exercises with blood flow restriction twice weekly for 6 weeks. Arterial occlusion pressure was individually determined using a pneumatic cuff and pulse oximetry.

OTHER

Eccentric Exercise

The eccentric exercise protocol involved slow eccentric wrist extensor exercises with the elbow in full extension and the forearm in pronation. From a wrist extension position, participants slowly lowered the weight into flexion over approximately 30 seconds.

OTHER

Orthosis

The orthosis group served as the reference standard conservative treatment group. Participants wore a wrist extension orthosis maintaining 15-20° of extension throughout the day, removing it only during sleep, bathing, and stretching exercises.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Dokuz Eylul University

    collaborator OTHER

  • Manisa Celal Bayar University

    lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2021-11-15
Primary Completion
2024-10-15
Completion
2024-12-20

Countries

  • Turkey (Türkiye)

Study Locations

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT07627932 on ClinicalTrials.gov