Shock waves or sugar water? new study tests two tennis elbow treatments

NCT ID NCT07620678

Completed Symptom relief Sponsor: Gaziler Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Education and Research Hospital Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026

Summary

This study compared two treatments for tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis): shock wave therapy and a single injection of 5% dextrose (sugar water). 96 adults with persistent pain for at least 3 months were split into three groups: standard care alone, standard care plus shock waves, or standard care plus the injection. Researchers measured pain, grip strength, and function over time to see which approach worked better.

What this could mean

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

Active substance: 5% dextrose injection
What this could lead to: If one treatment proves superior, it could offer a more effective, non-surgical option for tennis elbow pain relief.
What could go wrong: This is a small, completed trial comparing two existing treatments. Neither may be clearly better than the other, and results may not apply to all patients.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

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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.

LATERAL EPICONDYLITIS LATERAL EPICONDYLITIS (TENNIS ELBOW)

Contacts and locations

Locations

SBU Ankara Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Training and Research Hospital Ankara, Turkey

Ankara, Cankaya, Turkey (Türkiye)

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