Effects of the Tyler Twist Technique Versus Active Release Technique on Pain and Grip Strength in Patients With Lateral Epicondylitis

Background Lateral epicondylitis is one of the most prevalent repetitive strain injuries or overuse injuries of the upper limb. Lateral epicondylitis also known as tennis elbow can be caused by repeated wrist and forearm movements. Treatment strategies have evolved significantly to treat tennis elbow, ranging from simple exercises to the use of various electrotherapy modalities. Soft-tissue release treatments such as myofascial release and active release techniques (ARTs) have also been tested. Better therapeutic approaches for chronic lateral epicondylitis remained a point of contention until recently when additional therapy alternatives became available. The purpose of this study was to investigate and assess the physiotherapy alternatives for lateral epicondylitis. Methods We did a comparative study between the Tyler twist technique and the ART in patients suffering from lateral epicondylitis. This study included 30 individuals based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. Group A patients were taught the Tyler twist technique exercise along with conventional therapy. Patients in group B were treated with ART and conventional therapy. The treatment session lasted for 30 minutes including appropriate breaks in between the session. Outcome measures for this study were a numerical pain rating scale (NPRS) and grip strength measurement by a handheld dynamometer. The unit of measurement of grip strength was kilograms (Kg). Descriptive and inferential statistics were used in the statistical analysis. Results A total of 30 subjects with lateral epicondylitis were included. Participants were randomly distributed into two groups, that is, 15 in each group. Group A was the Tyler twist technique group and group B was the ART group. The treatment was given in four sessions each week for three weeks. The pain reduced from 5.8 to 2 after the Tyler twist technique in group A and 5.53 to 3.46 after the ART in group B. On comparative analysis, the post-treatment mean grip strength of the Tyler twist technique group was 24.13 kg and that of the ART group was 21.33 kg. The p-value was statistically significant with a value of 0.0001. The Tyler twist technique was more effective in improving the grip strength than ART. Conclusion The Tyler twist technique was found to be a more effective therapeutic intervention for lateral epicondylitis as a significant decrease in pain on the NPRS and an increase in grip strength on a handheld dynamometer were observed.