Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation for Epicondylitis Treatment & Management

Physical Therapy

The physician may recommend that the patient with ME receive physical or occupational therapy. The discipline of therapy usually depends on the type of facility available, the accessibility of therapists, and physician preference. The proper means of treatment for ME are discussed below, in the Occupational Therapy section.

Occupational Therapy

Treatment begins with rest, ice, compression, and bracing, to decrease pain and inflammation. One to 6 weeks of relative rest of the affected muscles and tendons is typically advised, until discomfort subsides. Icing is employed for 5-10 minutes, 4-6 times per day and is particularly important if a patient presents after an acute event. Patients should be instructed to avoid icing over the ulnar nerve.

Compression with a medial counterforce brace (ie, a tennis elbow splint) with a pad placed anteromedially on the proximal forearm over the flexor-pronator mass is routine. Discontinue if symptoms of an ulnar neuropathy worsen. In addition, if the symptoms are severe, brace with a wrist splint worn in the neutral position in order to rest the wrist flexors. In milder cases, a counterbalance brace may be used alone instead of a rigid splint; this limits extremes of motion while allowing some movement for functional activities. In the case of ulnar nerve involvement, a nighttime elbow extension splint should be considered. The splint is made in 30-45 º of elbow flexion. A daytime elbow pad also may be useful, by limiting additional trauma to the nerve.

After the patient's initial discomfort has subsided, a rehabilitation program with an occupational therapist should be initiated for muscle/tendon reconditioning. Begin with gentle stretching and add gradual strengthening of the flexor-pronator muscles, as the patient tolerates. Follow this with functional activities and with patient education aimed at avoiding re-injury.

The patient should be advised to perform very slow stretching exercises 10-15 times to warm up muscles and increase flexibility, before doing any strengthening exercises or functional activities. Strengthening begins slowly with isometrics and progresses to eccentric exercises (see the images below), with a gradual increase in resistance. Take care to cut back on exercises if they cause a recurrence of symptoms. Icing for 5-10 minutes after exercise is reasonable, especially if the patient reports pain in the affected area following exercise.

Concomitant modalities may include ultrasound, iontophoresis, phonophoresis, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, and low-energy, extracorporeal shock-wave therapy. Successful relief from symptoms is variable. Shock-wave therapy has been shown to be less effective for ME than it is for LE.^[7]

Epicondylar debridement is rarely indicated but has proven to be effective in cases in which conservative treatment has failed. In addition, the ulnar nerve may be decompressed surgically.^[8]

Referral to an orthopedic surgeon is appropriate after 6-10 months if conservative treatment fails.

If conservative measures fail, injection with local anesthetic and steroid to the point of maximal tenderness is appropriate. Special care should be taken to avoid injection directly into the tendon or the ulnar nerve. If concern for dislocation of the ulnar nerve exists, the injection should be performed with the elbow extended or semiflexed. The number of injections should be limited to 3 to decrease the risk of tendon atrophy or rupture. Short-term relief of discomfort with cortisone injection may be expected, but a complete rehabilitation program, as previously described, is a more effective and long-lasting way to treat ME.