Lateral elbow tendinopathy (LET) seems to be the most appropriate term to use in clinical practice because all the other terms, such as lateral epicondylitis, lateral epicon- dylalgia, lateral epicondylosis, and/or tennis elbow, make reference to inappropriate etiologic, anatomic, and patho- physiologic terms.”° LET is one of the 2 most common ten- dinopathies of the upper limb. LET is defined as pain in lateral epicondyle”’ and is characterized by disorganized collagen, an increased presence of fibroblasts, the absence of prostaglandins, and inflammatory cells.”° Thus, this con- dition is degenerative (failed healing tendon response) and not inflammatory as originally thought.’ Diagnosis is reproduced by pain with palpation (eg, localized pain), specific and clinical tests.** However, the appropriate treatment for the rehabilitation of LET does not exist. A conservative approach is advocated by many clinicians.* Therefore, physical therapy is usually proposed. A plethora of physiotherapy modalities has been recommended for the management of LET such as exercise programs, manual techniques, physical modalities, external support, and soft tissue manipulation. The mechanism of action of the above treatments is different, but all improve function and decrease pain. Such a plethora of techniques suggests that the ideal management strategy is unknown, and further research is required to find the most effective treatment strategy in LET patients.
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