Acupuncture can reduce pain and pathological thickness of the common extensor tendon (CET) in patients with lateral epicondylitis (LE). Ultrasound evaluation of the CET in a patient with LE may reveal increased tendon thickness, which correlates with the severity of the LE. Turkish clinicians randomly assigned 41 patients to acupuncture and control groups. All received conventional treatment, and the acupuncture group also received needling at six acupoints (an ashi point, Shousanli L.I.-10, Quchi L.I.-11, Chize LU-5, Hegu L.I.-4 and Weiguan SJ-5) for 25 minutes per session, two or three times a week for four weeks (a total of 10 sessions). Subjective pain and hand function scores improved in both groups, but pressure pain threshold and CET thickness only improved in the acupuncture group.
Ultrasonographic Evaluation of Acupuncture Effect on Common Extensor Tendon Thickness in Patients with Lateral Epicondylitis: A Randomized Controlled Study.
J Altern Complement Med. 2017 Jun 7. doi: 10.1089/acm.2016.0370.
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