A Comparison of the short-term effects of steroid injection, prolotherapy and home-based physiotherapy in patients with chronic lateral elbow tendinopathy

Abstract

Aim: This study aims to compare the effects of steroid injection (SI), prolotherapy, and home-based physiotherapy on pain and function in short-term in chronic lateral elbow tendinopathy (LET) patients. Materials and Methods: Patients with chronic LET admitted to the orthopedic clinic between 2022 and 2023 were divided into SI (n=17), prolotherapy (n=17) and home-based physiotherapy (n=17) groups. Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Quick Disability Assessment of Arm, Shoulder and Hand Problems (QuickDASH), and Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) for pain and function before, two, and six weeks after treatment were compared. Results: Second and sixth-week VAS, QuickDASH and HAQ were significantly lower in SI and prolotherapy than home-based physiotherapy group (p=0.001). In the sixth week, sufficient improvement was achieved in VAS, QuickDASH and HAQ in SI compared to prolotherapy and home-based physiotherapy (p=0.001, η2=0.30-0.42). Conclusion: SI, prolotherapy, and home-based physiotherapy improved elbow pain and function in short-term, but SI was greater effective. SI may be effective for short-term improvement in chronic LET patients.