Determining the Immediate Effects of Counterforce Bracing Versus Kinesiotaping in Patients With Tennis Elbow

This was a cross over randomized control trial. Thirty patients with clinical diagnosis of lateral epicondylosis/tennis elbow were recruited from a local community and were tested on single occasion (one time testing session) before and after a five minute upper extremity repetitive task first with control and then brace and kinesiotape assigned in cross-over design. The testing session was one hour long and there was no follow up of patients following the testing. The patients were recruited between Jan-June 2013.

Inclusion criteria

• Age (18-70 years)
• Ability to provide written informed consent to participate
• Were at least three weeks from onset of symptoms
• Complaints of discomfort or pain at the lateral elbow region for a minimum of three weeks and tenderness with palpation of the lateral epicondyle
• Provocation of lateral elbow pain with one of the following test - resisted middle finger extension, resisted wrist extension or passive stretch of wrist extensors

Exclusion criteria

• History of surgery on affected elbow
• History of cortisone injections on the affected elbow in the past 4 weeks
• Any physical or mental limitations that precluded performance of the study testing
• Allergy to adhesive tapes