Shock therapy for tennis elbow? tiny needles zap pain away

NCT ID NCT04442321

Completed Symptom relief Sponsor: Universidad Complutense de Madrid Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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.

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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.

TENNIS ELBOW

Contacts and locations

Locations

Universidad Complutense de Madrid

Madrid, Madrid, 28040, Spain

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