A physiotherapy student is hoping his new research into a condition commonly known as tennis elbow will contribute to the development of new treatments.
Bachelor of Physiotherapy (Honours) student from CSU in Albury-Wodonga Charlie Shepherd is looking for volunteers in his study to gather more information about the condition.
You don’t have to be a tennis player either, tennis elbow, or lateral epicondylalgia, is degeneration of the tendons of the elbow caused by overuse of the arm, forearm or hand and can happen to anyone.
“Tennis elbow can be a chronic, painful condition as well as debilitating for those who suffer from it,” Charlie said.
“It can also be hard for health professionals to establish if there are improvements in the patients they are treating for the condition.
“It’s currently unclear whether commonly used clinical outcome measures for tennis elbow, such as grip strength, are valid for determining the improvements in the condition.”
The study is being supervised by lecturer in physiotherapy in the School of Community Health Mr Tim Retchford and Wodonga physiotherapist and CSU graduate Mr Nathan Mobbs.
To participate in the study, you must be aged between 18 and 60 and have tennis elbow in only one arm.
You must also be able to attend a 30-minute session at the University’s Community Engagement and Wellness Centre at Thurgoona or Personal Best Physiotherapy in Wodonga to complete a questionnaire and have measurements of your muscle strength taken.
If you want to help out a fellow student, send an email to: charlie.h.shepherd@gmail.com
The study, Validity and Reliability of Clinic Outcome Measures for Lateral Epicondylalgia: A Comparative Longitudinal Study has approval from CSU Human Research Ethics.
