Effectiveness of the "Tecaretherapy" in Patients With Lateral Elbow Tendinopathy

Effectiveness of High Frequency Currents (Tecarethérapie) in Patients With Lateral Elbow Tendonopathy

This RCT aims at investigating the effectiveness of the "Tecaretherapy" in patients with lateral elbow tendinopathy.

60 patients will be randomized into one of the following 3 groups:

• "Conventional physiotherapy treatment (CPT)" (massage, eccentric exercises, stretching);
• "CPT + Tecare" (idem CPT group + tecaretherapy during the eccentric exercises)
• "CPT + Placebo Tecare" (idem "CPT + Tecare" group but with an inactive Tecare device) The treatment will include 18 30-minute sessions

This RCT aims at investigating the effectiveness of the "Tecaretherapy" in patients with lateral elbow tendinopathy.

60 patients will be randomized into one of the following 3 groups:

• "Conventional physiotherapy treatment (CPT)" (massage, eccentric exercises by means of an isokinetic dynamometer, stretching);
• "CPT + Tecare" (idem CPT group + Tecaretherapy during the eccentric exercises)
• "CPT + Placebo Tecare" (idem "CPT + Tecare" group but with an inactive "Tecare" device) The treatment will include 18 30-minute sessions.

The "Tecaretherapy" consists in using a specific device providing high frequencies (between 300 kHz and 1 MHz) supposed to accelerate the tissues healing process.

Outcome sessions will be organized at baseline, after the first 9 sessions, at the end of the treatment as well as 3 and 6 months after the initial treatment session.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patient suffering from a chronic lateral elbow tendinopathy confirmed by echography

Exclusion Criteria:

Patients:

• with contra-indications for a Tecaretherapy (Pace maker, insuline pump, pregnancy, infection, fever, cancer, thrombophlebitis)
• reporting injections and/or shockwaves in the past (for the tendinopathy)
• with an associated neurogenic dysfunction