Physical Treatments (Oct 2018)
The Effect of Using Brace Combined With Low Level Laser Therapy on the Pain and Disability of People With Lateral Epicondylitis
Abstract
Purpose: Lateral Epicondylitis (LE) or tennis elbow is one of the most frequent complications in the general population. Moreover, it is one of the most common lesions in the work-related upper limb. This disease has a significant impact on the daily activities of individuals and their performance. The most frequent problem in patients with LE is pain in the proximal forearm. The current study evaluated and compared a simple proximal forearm strap and a counterforce brace combined with Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT). Methods: In this quasi-experimental study, 26 patients with LE were selected as samples using non-probability sampling technique (convenience method). They were randomly divided into the two groups of simple brace and brace+LLLT. Jamar Digital Hand Dynamometer, Visual Analog Scale, and the Disabilities of Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) questionnaire were used to measure grip strength, pain and the disability of samples, respectively. The comparison of studied parameters was performed by repeated measures Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). Results: The mean pain score significantly decreased in both groups; however, the difference between the two groups was not significant. The simple counterforce brace had no significant effect on grip strength, but in the group who used counterforce brace with LLLT, the grip strength significantly increased. The mean disability scores decreased significantly in both groups; however, the difference was not significant between the two groups. The counterforce brace with LLLT had more effect on the reduction of disability. Conclusion: Both tested braces could affect grip strength, pain, and the disability of patients with LE. The counterforce brace with LLLT was superior to the simple counterforce brace only on grip strength.
