Fire Needle Acupuncture Treatment for Lateral Epicondylitis (Tennis Elbow)

Lateral epicondylitis i.e. tennis elbow is a medical term for inflammation of the elbow on the lateral (outer) epicondyle. The condition usually occurs during excessive use of the arm, forearm and the muscles in that area which result with pain in the elbow. Fundamentally the condition appears when there are strong, monotonous and long movements of the muscles which burden the lateral epicondyle in the places of their attachment. When treating the lateral epicondylitits with Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the first choice for a treatment is acupuncture. In our study are included 12 patients, 9 male and 3 female, all with symptoms of lateral epicondylitis and all treated with fire needle acupuncture. The treatments were done in a clinic for TCM and acupuncture in Skopje, Macedonia, by a doctor specialist in acupuncture. In the treatment were treated trigger i.e. Ashi points. Patients were on age from 24 to 70, with most common age group of 30-40. Number of the treatments is different in all patients, but mostly needed only one treatment to improve the condition completely. Acupuncture treatment with fire needles gives positive and very satisfying results for a very short time in the treatment of lateral epicondylitis, thereby relieving the pain and removing all the discomfort in the elbow.