People with tennis elbow needed for study

University of Queensland researchers are seeking people with pain on the outer side of the elbow (a condition known as “tennis elbow”) for an ongoing study.

Senior lecturer in physiotherapy and project senior investigator Dr Bill Vicenzino said tennis elbow was a common problem in the community.

“It can be aggravated by gripping activities and direct pressure over the site,” he said.

“In most cases there is a significant interference with a pain-free active lifestyle. For example, some people have pain and difficulty lifting a cup of tea, teapot or iron. In severe cases there is marked limitation of arm use and function.

“Surprisingly this ailment does not only occur in tennis players. In fact, most sufferers do not play tennis. Tennis elbow is likely caused by activities involving repetitive gripping actions of the hands over a prolonged period of time. However, there are many sufferers of this condition who do not recall participating in such activities.”

Dr Vicenzino said research in UQ’s Physiotherapy Department laboratory had shown that some new treatment techniques could in fact activate body systems that controlled pain.

“These pain controlling mechanisms are located in the brainstem region,” he said. “The researchers involved in this study are putting together a body of data in order to better understand the condition inform clinicians and develop more effective interventions for tennis elbow.”

Dr Vicenzino said the project was seeking volunteers aged 18 to 65 with greater than six weeks duration of pain in one elbow, aggravated by activities such as gripping, squeezing, lifting objects or even playing sports.

Eligible participants would be required to attend three sessions of 90 minutes duration at The Musculoskeletal Pain and Injury Research Unit, Physiotherapy Department, University of Queensland, St. Lucia campus (free parking available).

To be part of this project or for more information, contact Mr Yo Paungmali (PhD candidate) (telephone 07 3365 4692) or Dr Bill Vicenzino (telephone 07 3365 2781,
email: tenniselbowresearch@hotmail.com).