The Study Of Clinical Effect By Proprioceptive Sensibility Reflexotherapy In Patients With External Humeral Epicondylitis

ObjectiveTo study the clinical effect and security on external humeral epicondylitis with proprioceptive sensibility reflexotherapy by clinical randomized control.MethodsTo collected 22 patients with external humeral epicondylitis who met the inclusion criteria in the Dept. of Rehabilitation of Guangdong Provincial Hospital of TCM from February 2010 to March 2011, and divided them into two groups by simple random method. There are 11 cases in the treatment group and 11 cases in the control group. Treatment group:Proprioceptive sensibility reflexotherapy+Ultrasonic treatment+Intermediate frequency electrotherapy; Control group:Ultrasonic treatment+Intermediate frequency electrotherapy. A course is 5 times therapies. Observation scales include:Visual analog score (VAS) and instrument for measuring pain (kg/cm2) before the 1st treatment and after the 1st/3rd/5th treatment. The security was evaluated by flushing or ecchymoses on the skin. To establish the database and then take statistical analysis with SPSS13.0. Measurement data were mean+standard deviation (χ±s) for statistics said. Statistical test methods:Changes between the two groups before and after treatment using independent sample t test and rank sum test, the two groups before and after themselves control using paired samples t test, categorical data by chi square test, ranked data using rank sum test(Ridit test). Results1. The general information of two groups included:gender, age, how long get the external humeral epicondylitis, past medical history。Before treatment, it is evaluated by visual analog score, VAS, and instrument for measuring pain (kg/cm2) at Shousanli Point (LI 10) and the space between the Radial humeral joint and epicondyle of the humerus between two groups. There was no significant difference(P>0.05), the baselines of the two groups were basically the same before treatment。2. There was significant difference (P<0.05) after and before treatment, in visual analogue scores, pain threshold and pain tolerance threshold at Shousanli Point(LI 10) and the space between the Radial humeral joint and epicondyle of the humerus, both of two groups. It shew that two kinds of intervention can improve the clinical symptoms of pain. The effective rates of two groups were the same,90.9%.3. After the fifth treatment, there was nobody with any adverse reactions in the two groups.4. Between two groups, there was significant difference(P<0.05) in the speed and rate of visual analogue pain scores improvement during Mills test. After the 1st,3rd,5fh treatment, the average rate of visual analogue pain scores improvement of treatment group were 0.32±0.40,1.27±0.75,1.86±0.81. The treatment group was better than the control group.5. After the 3rd treatment, there was significant difference(P<0.05) in the improve rate of pain threshold at the space between the Radial humeral joint and epicondyle of the humerus between two groups. After the 3rd,5fh treatment, the average improve rate of pain threshold at the space between the Radial humeral joint and epicondyle of the humerus of treatment group were 0.82±0.90,1.26±0.89. The treatment group was better than the control group.6. After the 5th treatment, there was significant difference(P<0.05) in the improve rate of pain tolerance threshold at the space between the Radial humeral joint and epicondyle of the humerus between two groups. After the 5fh treatment, the average improve rate of pain tolerance threshold at the space between the Radial humeral joint and epicondyle of the humerus of treatment group were 1.05±0.74. The treatment group was better than the control group. Conclusions1. Two groups of interventions can be significantly improved the clinical symptoms of pain in patients with external humeral epicondylitis.2. The improvement of pain in patients doing Mills test with external humeral epicondylitis, the treatment group is better than the control group3. After the third treatment, the rate of improvement of pain threshold at the space between the Radial humeral joint and epicondyle of the humerus, the treatment group is better than the control group.4. After the fifth treatment, the rate of improvement of pain tolerance threshold at the space between the Radial humeral joint and epicondyle of the humerus, the treatment group is better than the control group.5. The proprioceptive sensibility reflexotherapy can significantly reduce pain and improve the clinical general efficacy. It also make a security and effective way for the treatment of external humeral epicondylitis.