The Effect of Deep Friction Massage versus Stretching of Wrist Extensor Muscles in the Treatment of Patients with Tennis Elbow

Overuse injuries of the elbow and forearm are very common in athletes. This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of muscle stretching and deep friction massage with using wrist joint support during management of tennis elbow. This study included forty patients with tennis elbow divided into two equal groups: the first group with a mean age 38.1 ± 0.294 followed a physical therapy program in form of deep friction massage on the proximal attachment of wrist extensor muscles, the second group with a mean age 37.6 ± 0.253, submitted to stretching exercises of wrist extensors. Both of groups submitted to ultrasonic therapy with wrist splint during treatment period, three sessions per week for six weeks. Outcome measures were universal goniometer, visual analogue scale, and squeezing sphygmomanometer. The results showed that there was a significant improvement in ROM of wrist flexion and wrist extension, and handgrip in second group and it was more than in the first group while no significant difference in pain. This study showed that stretching exercise is more beneficial in the management of patients with tennis elbow.

Therapeutic evaluation of lumbar tender point deep massage for chronic non-specific low back pain

OBJECTIVE:To observe the therapeutic effect of lumbar tender point deep tissue massage plus lumbar traction on chronic non-specific low back pain using change in pressure pain threshold,muscle hardness and pain intensity as indices.METHODS:We randomly divided 64 patients into a treatment group(32 cases) and a control group(32 cases).Two drop-outs occurred in each group.Patients in the treatment group received tender point deep tissue massage plus lumbar traction and patients in the control group received lumbar traction,alone.We used a tissue hardness meter/algometer and visual analog scale(VAS) to assess the pressure pain threshold,muscle hardness and pain intensity.RESULTS:Following treatment,we obtained the following results in the treatment and control groups,respectively:the pressure pain threshold difference was 1.5±0.8 and 1.1±0.7;the muscle hardness difference was 4.2±1.6 and 3.5±1.3;and the VAS score difference was 1.9±0.9 and 1.4±0.8.Compared to the control group,the treatment group had higher pressure pain threshold(t=2.09,P<0.05),and lower muscle hardness(t=2.05,P<0.05) and pain intensity(t=2.46,P<0.05).CONCLUSION:Lumbar tender point deep tissue massage combined with lumbar traction produced better improvement in pressure pain threshold,muscle hardness and pain intensity in patients with chronic non-specific low back pain than with lumbar traction alone.