Evaluation of a Stretching Forearm Sleeve for Lateral Epicondylitis: Repeated Measures Study.
Adriana M Ríos Rincón, Christine Guptill, Ann Tran and 3 others
PMID 41780923WHAT IT FOUND
Nineteen adults with tennis elbow wore a stretching sleeve for 30 minutes daily for 12 weeks.
Pain-free grip strength and self-reported pain improved significantly, but without a control group, natural recovery cannot be ruled out.
Key findings
01Pain-free grip strength increased significantly over the 12-week period, with the final mean reaching 73.2 lb compared to 48.9 lb at baseline.
02Total scores on the Patient-Rated Tennis Elbow Evaluation dropped from a mean of 41.6 at baseline to 14.0 at week 12, indicating reduced symptom severity.
03The study lacked a control group, limiting the ability to attribute improvements solely to the ArmLock sleeve rather than natural recovery or placebo effects.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The study had no control group or sham device, so improvements cannot be distinguished from natural recovery or placebo effects. The sample size was small (19 completers), which limits the generalizability of the findings. Adherence was self-reported via diary, which may be subject to recall bias. Lifestyle factors such as smoking and alcohol use, which can affect tendon healing, were not measured. The study population was predominantly male (68.4%), despite lateral epicondylitis having an equal sex distribution in the general population. Follow-up was limited to 12 weeks, so the durability of effects beyond this period is unknown.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The study was conducted at the University of Alberta, and participants received the device at no cost.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that the ArmLock sleeve causes pain reduction. Because there was no control group, the observed improvements in grip strength and pain scores could be due to the natural course of tennis elbow or placebo effects, which are common in this condition.
Summarised by AI from the full paper, without a clinician reviewing it. Check it against the source before it changes what you do. Read it on PubMed →