Effectiveness of the Cyriax Technique With Conventional Therapy in the Management of Lateral Epicondylitis: A Case Report

Abstract

Tennis elbow, medically referred to as lateral epicondylitis, is a common musculoskeletal condition that results in tenderness and pain on the outer side of the elbow. Physiotherapy is a conservative therapy for treating tennis elbow that emphasizes pain control, functional improvement, and recurrence avoidance. The case report examines the case of a 25-year-old woman who experienced a gradual onset of pain and mild swelling in her right elbow. As a result, she had hand trembling during flexion and extension, which was ongoing for the previous two days. As per the case study results, physical therapy has a crucial role in enhancing the endurance of muscles, increasing the range of motion, facilitating regular activities, and improving overall quality of life. According to recently published articles, a physical therapist plays a critical role in healing overuse injuries and helping patients resume their regular activities. For this patient, we developed a four-week treatment plan that includes several advanced therapy approaches, such as the Cyriax technique. The specific intervention used in the treatment was the Cyriax technique, which included intense deep friction massage followed by Mill's manipulation in addition to conventional physiotherapy which includes eight minutes of clinical ultrasound, isometric wrist joint stretches, praying position stretches, stretching exercises, and ice fomentation). For a total of 12 sessions, four weeks, the patient received treatment three days a week. For our patient, who had right-hand lateral epicondylitis, we designed a comprehensive rehabilitation program, and it was remarkably effective. We assessed the efficacy of our end measures using a variety of outcomes, including the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and the Patient-Rated Tennis Elbow Evaluation (PRTEE) scale. It was shown that giving patients a Cyriax method approach in addition to a regular physiotherapy treatment would be more advantageous for enhancing their general health and quality of life. To treat lateral epicondylitis, physiotherapists use a variety of manual treatments, such as mobilization, manipulation, and massage.

Keywords: conventional therapy; cyriax technique; deep transverse friction massage; exercises; extensor carpi radialis brevis; lateral epicondylitis.

Figure 1. (A) Ultrasound. (B) Wrist extension stretching. (C) Wrist flexion stretching. (D) Cyriax technique