Effectiveness of laser acupuncture combined with physiotherapy in tennis elbow syndrome: a pre-post pilot study

Introduction: Lateral epicondylitis (LE) syndrome affects 1–3% of adults, and the effectiveness of non-invasive treatments remains unclear. Laser acupuncture (LA) may relieve pain as a less invasive alternative to other treatments, while physical therapy can help reduce stress on the tendons. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the potential effect of combining LA with physical therapy in patients with LE syndrome. Methods: The pilot study used a single group with 30 LE patients, who were treated by LA combined with physiotherapy exercise for four weeks. Pain levels were measured using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), and elbow motion was assessed using a goniometer to measure the range of motion (ROM) from February to September 2024. The VAS and ROM have been compared before treatment and after treatment. Results: After 4 weeks of treatment, VAS pain scores significantly decreased from 70 mm (60–70) to 30 mm (30–40) (p<0.001). Elbow ROM extension decreased from 8 (5.7–10) to 0 (0–1) (p<0.001), and Elbow ROM flexion improved from 138.5 (134.2–140) to 142 (140–144) (p=0.002). No side effects were observed during the study. Conclusions: After four weeks, the combination of LA and physiotherapy exercises significantly reduced pain and improved ROM (extension and flexion) with no adverse events reported. This combined treatment offers potential analgesic effects for LE with no side effects.