The Effect of Corticosteroid Injection with and Without Dry Needling on Pain Intensity in Patients with Tennis Elbow: A Randomized Clinical Trial Study

Tennis elbow is a condition in which pain is felt in the lateral part of the elbow due to the excessive extension of the wrist. This study aimed to compare the local injection effect of the corticosteroid alone vs corticosteroid alongside dry needling, in easing pain intensity.

In this randomized clinical trial, 90 patients (45 cases group and 45 controls group) with tennis elbow were investigated. In the case and control groups, local corticosteroid injection was done alongside dry needling (continuous movement of the needle to injure the bony cortex at the origin of the extensor carpal radialis brevis muscle) and without needling, respectively. Finally, changes in pain severity before, three, and six months after treatment were compared between the two groups using a visual analog scale.

The mean age of patients in the case and control groups was 45.17 ± 7.93 and 46.62 ± 6.23, respectively while the observed difference was not statistically significant. Comparison of pain intensity between two groups showed that the pain intensity score in the case group was significantly lower than the control group even after adjusting for age and gender. In the study groups, pain intensity score changes were not statistically significant during different time intervals.

Based on the results, injection of corticosteroids alongside dry needling can be more effective compared to the injection of corticosteroids without dry needling in reducing pain intensity.