Epicondylitis Band or Corticosteroid Injection for Lateral Epicondylitis Treatment?

OBJECTIVES: Comparison of the short and medium-term results of the epicondylitis brace with corticosteroid and local anesthetic injections for lateral epicondylitis. METHODS: This was a retrospective and comparative study for the treatment of acute lateral epicondylitis. The patient groups A and B received two different treatments. There were 151 patients in Group A and 205 patients in Group B. Group A received the epicondylitis brace and Group B corticosteroid and local anesthetic injections. Both groups were also given stretch exercises and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Patients were assessed at weeks 1, 4, 12, and 24 and the Quick DASH scoring was performed on weeks 12 and 24. RESULTS: At the 3rd month of treatment, Group A showed recovery rates of moderate, good and full in 18.5%, 32.5% and 30.5% respectively while these rates were 33.2%, 13.7% and 25.4% in Group B. The same rates at the end of months 6 were 17.2%, 41.1% and 17.2% in Group A and 28.3%, 1% and 17.2% in Group B. CONCLUSION: Combined treatment (physical therapy, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) with an epicondylitis brace was more effective than combined treatment with steroid and local anesthetic injections in acute lateral epicondylitis.