Shock therapy for tennis elbow? tiny needles zap pain away

NCT ID NCT04442321

First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study tested a treatment for tennis elbow (lateral epicondylalgia) using ultrasound-guided percutaneous electrical stimulation (PENS) on the radial nerve, combined with exercise. Sixty adults with confirmed tennis elbow were split into two groups: one received real PENS plus exercise, the other a sham (fake) PENS plus exercise. The goal was to see if the real treatment reduced pain and disability better than the sham.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance

percutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (PENS) plus exercise

What this could lead to

If it works, this could offer a new, non-surgical way to ease pain and improve function in people with tennis elbow.

What could go wrong

This is a small, completed trial with 60 people, so results may not apply to everyone. The treatment is still experimental and not widely available.

Disclaimer Read more

This is a summary of the original study . Summaries may miss details or leave out important information. Before applying or accepting participation, make sure you have read and understood the full study. Curemydisease.com takes no responsibility whatsoever for anything missed, misunderstood, or acted upon as a result of our summary — we know it does not capture everything.

Get updates

Get notified about this study

Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for TENNIS ELBOW are added.

Our safety recommendation!

By submitting, you agree to our Terms of use

Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

epicondylitis

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Universidad Complutense de Madrid

    Madrid, Madrid, 28040, Spain