Comparison of Ozone and Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy in the Treatment of Chronic Lateral Epicondylitis

Objective: The aim of the current retrospective study was to compare the effects of ozone injections and Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy in the alleviation of pain associated with chronic lateral epicondylitis.Method: A Retrospective Cohort Study was performed, and data was collected from the documented medical records of 89 patients with unilateral chronic lateral epicondylitis. Patients who received local injections of ozone (n=49) and Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy (n=40) were evaluated. Pain assessment was made by means of Verhaar scores before and after the first injection and the at 1st, 3rd, 6th, and 9th months after treat-ment. The two groups were compared with respect to baseline demographics including age, gender, dominant and affected sides and Verhaar scores.Results: Evaluation of pain scores after the treatment showed significant differences between the two groups. Assessment of pain at the 3rd and 9th months after treat-ment demonstrated that the ozone group had statistically significantly better scores at rest (p<0.001), on compression (p<0.001) and during activity (p<0.001).Conclusion: Our results demonstrated that ozone injection may be superior over Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy which is an effective therapeutic option for long-term pain relief in patients with chronic lateral epicondylitis who are refractory to conservative treatment.