Shock Wave Therapy for Lateral Epicondylitis

A new, low-energy extracorporeal shock wave system is designed for use in the treatment of pain in patients with lateral epicondylitis.

During treatment, the articulating head of the device is placed onto the area where the patient experiences pain, and fine adjustments are made to the area of therapeutic focus. The device administers a preset number of pulses, or shocks, at a low energy level, allowing for anesthesia-free treatment.

A US multicenter clinical trial involved 114 patients who had not responded to at least two of three therapies, including physical therapy, anti-inflammatory medications, and steroid injections. About half received the active shock wave therapy, while the others received a placebo treatment. After 12 weeks, a statistically significant difference in pain reduction was seen among those in the active treatment group, with 64% showing at least a 50% reduction in pain. The shock wave therapy system used in the trial was the Sonocur Basic, from Siemens Medical Solutions (Erlangen, Germany). The Sonocur has been cleared by the US Food and drug Administration (FDA).

"We found that these treatments resulted in satisfactory outcomes in most patients, while offering no serious side effects due to treatment,” said David Covall, an orthopedic surgeon in Atlanta (GA, USA), who served as principal investigator for the trial. "Sonocur Basic could prove to be a major breakthrough—one we haven't seen in orthopedics for several decades.” According to Dr. Covall, treatment with Sonocur could be a noninvasive alternative to surgery for patients who have failed to respond to conventional therapies.




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