Management of right-sided tennis elbow using ultrasound, TENS, and therapeutic exercise: A case study

Vollständiger Abstract

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Tennis elbow or lateral elbow tendinopathy is a tendinopathy caused by repetitive microtrauma and overuse of the extensor carpi radialis brevis (ECRB) tendon, which can result in pain, decreased muscle strength, and functional limitations of the upper extremity. Physiotherapy management is needed to reduce pain and improve the patient's functional ability. This study aimed to describe the outcome of physiotherapy management using a combination of ultrasound, Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS), and eccentric exercise in a patient with right-sided tennis elbow. This study used a case report design involving a 47-year-old male patient diagnosed with right-sided tennis elbow. The patient experienced pain on the lateral aspect of the right elbow following excessive tennis and weightlifting activities. Physiotherapy interventions were provided in three sessions on March 4, 11, and 18, 2026. The treatment program consisted of ultrasound therapy at a frequency of 1 MHz, an intensity of 1 W/cm² for 5 minutes, TENS at a frequency of 100 Hz for 20 minutes, and eccentric exercise consisting of 3 sets of 10 repetitions. Evaluation was performed using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), Range of Motion (ROM), Manual Muscle Testing (MMT), and Patient-Rated Tennis Elbow Evaluation (PRTEE). The results demonstrated clinical improvement after three physiotherapy sessions, characterized by a reduction in pain based on the VAS, increased ROM, improved muscle strength based on MMT, and a decreased PRTEE score indicating improved functional ability. The combination of ultrasound, TENS, and eccentric exercise showed positive outcomes in reducing symptoms and improving functional ability in the patient with right-sided tennis elbow. It can be concluded that the combination of ultrasound, TENS, and eccentric exercise may be considered as a conservative physiotherapy treatment option for patients with right-sided tennis elbow, particularly for reducing pain and improving functional ability. Further studies involving larger sample sizes and longer intervention periods are needed to strengthen these findings.