Eccentric training programmes in the management of lateral elbow tendinopathy

BACKGROUND: Eccentric training has shown promising results in the management of Achilles and patellar tendinopathy. Recently, studies have investigated eccentric training in the treatment of lateral elbow tendinopathy. PURPOSE: The purpose of this review was to describe eccentric training programs used to treat LET in order to inform clinicians and identify areas requiring further study. METHOD: An electronic search of publications indexed in the MEDLINE database was performed in May 2007. Studies comparing eccentric training with at least one other intervention were included. Results. Four studies investigating a total of 248 participants were identified. Three of the four studies reported superior results for eccentric training compared with other interventions, although this included one pilot study and another study that did not include an extended follow-up. There were several differences between the studies, including whether eccentric training was painful or pain-free, the duration of eccentric training (4 - 12 weeks) and whether training was performed in a clinical setting or at home. CONCLUSION: Eccentric training in the management of LET has demonstrated encouraging results, although the literature is limited and eccentric programs are varied. Future studies should investigate factors that may influence the outcome of eccentric training, including whether training is painful and the duration of eccentric training.