1053 - Effects of Radial Shock Wave Therapy on Pain and Function in the Upper Limb: A Retrospective Study

Introduction:
Radial shock wave therapy (ESWT) is a noninvasive alternative for managing chronic upper limb tendinopathies. Although widely applied in shoulder tendinitis (ST), lateral epicondylitis (LE), medial epicondylitis (ME), de Quervain’s tenosynovitis (DQT), and carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), limited evidence addresses its functional impact using validated scales.

Objective:
The objective of this study is to evaluate the impact of radial ESWT on pain and function in various upper limb disorders, utilizing the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and the QuickDASH questionnaire.

Design:

Methods:
Retrospective cohort study including 35 adults (31 women; mean age 48.3 ± 4.2 years) treated with radial ESWT between September 2019 and March 2020. Inclusion criteria: clinical diagnosis of ST, LE, ME, DQT, or CTS. Exclusion criteria: prior surgery, structural deformities, or active infection. Weekly radial ESWT sessions were administered over 41 ± 26.9 days. Outcome measures: VAS (0–10) and QuickDASH (0–100), assessed pre- and post-treatment. Statistical significance was set at p< 0.05.

Results:

Results:
The most frequent diagnoses were LE and ME (25% each), followed by bicompartmental epicondylitis (20%), CTS (11%), and DQT (8%). VAS scores decreased significantly from 7.6 ± 1.5 to 5.0 ± 2.5 (~40% reduction; p < 0.05). QuickDASH scores improved from 50.2 ± 7.8 to 41.1 ± 9.0 (p< 0.05), surpassing the minimal clinically important difference (MCID: 14 points). No adverse events were reported.

Conclusions:

Conclusions:
Radial ESWT effectively reduced pain and improved function in upper limb tendinopathies. Its use as a noninvasive therapeutic option is supported by validated assessment tools. Despite the retrospective design and absence of a control group limiting causal inference, the findings support its inclusion within a stepwise treatment approach.