Evidence map›Paper›PMID 26303397›Full record

SynthesisBMC musculoskeletal disorders2015

Efficacy of physical therapy for the treatment of lateral epicondylitis: a meta-analysis.

Christoph Weber, Veronika Thai, Katrin Neuheuser, Katharina Groover, Oliver Christ

2 registry-linked trialsOpen access · goldAbstract readMeta-AnalysisReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in BMC musculoskeletal disorders, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to 2 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 20 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
20citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
4.3field-weighted citation impact, top 6% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT03996928 naunknown statusnot on this mapstarted 2017, after this paper: background citation

Eccentric Exercise in Epicondylitis: Direct Application By Physical Therapist Vs Self-Application By Patient

TypeinterventionalSponsorAndaluz Health ServiceRan2017 to 2019Enrolled20ConditionsTendinopathyArmsExercise
NCT05334953 nacompletednot on this mapstarted 2022, after this paper: background citation

Comparing the Efficacy of Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy, Ultrasound and Phonophoresis Treatments in Lateral Epicondylitis: A Randomized Controlled Trial

TypeinterventionalSponsorBezmialem Vakif UniversityRan2022 to 2023Enrolled68ConditionsLateral EpicondylitisArmsESWT, Phonophoresis, Ultrasound, Control group
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

20 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 79 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Comparison of extracorporeal shockwave therapy, ultrasound therapy, and corticosteroid injections for treatment of lateral epicondylitis: an umbrella review of meta-analyses.Journal of orthopaedics and traumatology : official journal of the Italian Society of Orthopaedics and Traumatology · 2025
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.

Christoph WeberDepartment of Psychology, TU Darmstadt, Alexanderstrasse 10, 64287, Darmstadt, Germany. weber@diempuberater.de.
Veronika ThaiJustizvollzugsanstalt Darmstadt, Marienburgstrasse 74, 64297, Darmstadt, Germany. veronika.thai@jva-darmstadt.justiz.hessen.de.
Katrin NeuheuserDepartment of Psychology, TU Darmstadt, Alexanderstrasse 10, 64287, Darmstadt, Germany. neuheuser@psychologie.tu-darmstadt.de.
Katharina GrooverDepartment of Psychology, TU Darmstadt, Alexanderstrasse 10, 64287, Darmstadt, Germany. Katharina.groover@googlemail.com.
Oliver ChristSchool of Applied Psychology, University of Applied Sciences and Arts NortherwesternSwitzerland, Riggenbachstrasse 16, 4600, Olten, Switzerland. oliver.christ@fhnw.ch.
Technical University of Darmstadt · DEFHNW University of Applied Sciences and Arts · CH

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPhysical therapy for the treatment of lateral epicondylitis (LE) often comprises movement therapies, extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ECSWT), low level laser therapy (LLLT), low frequency electrical stimulation or pulsed electromagnetic fields. Still, only ECSWT and LLLT have been meta-analytically researched.

methodsPUBMED, EMBASE and Cochrane database were systematically searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Methodological quality of each study was rated with an adapted version of the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) checklist. Pain reduction (the difference between treatment and control groups at the end of trials) and pain relief (the change in pain from baseline to the end of trials) were calculated with mean differences (MD) and 95%-Confidence intervals (95 % CI).

resultsOne thousand one hundred thirty eight studies were identified. One thousand seventy of those did not meet inclusion criteria. After full articles were retrieved 16 studies met inclusion criteria and 12 studies reported comparable outcome variables. Analyses were conducted for overall pain relief, pain relief during maximum handgrip strength tests, and maximum handgrip strength. There were not enough studies to conduct an analysis of physical function or other outcome variables.

conclusionsDifferences between treatment and control groups were larger than differences between treatments. Control group gains were 50 to 66% as high as treatment group gains. Still, only treatment groups with their combination of therapy specific and non-therapy specific factors reliably met criteria for clinical relevance. Results are discussed with respect to stability and their potential meaning for the use of non-therapy specific agents to optimize patients' gain.

Indexed as

Physical Therapy ModalitiesElectric Stimulation TherapyFemaleHand StrengthHigh-Energy Shock WavesHumansLow-Level Light TherapyMagnetic Field TherapyMalePain MeasurementRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicTennis ElbowTreatment Outcome

Identifiers

PMID26303397
PMCPMC4549077
OpenAlexW1950629090

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.