The Role of Scapular Power in Resolving Lateral Elbow Pain: A Detailed Case Analysis

Background: final Year Student, CIHS, Thalassery Publication Date: 2026/02/06 While the clinical presentation of lateral epicondylalgia is remarkably consistent across patients, its underlying causes are far more complex and multifaceted. The traditional moniker “tennis elbow” is actually a bit of a misnomer; in reality, less than 5% of diagnosed individuals actually participate in the sport. Given this disconnect, the term lateral epicondylalgia serves as a more accurate clinical descriptor for the diverse range of patients—from office workers to manual laborers— who present with this specific pathology.  Objective: To evaluate the role of Scapular Power in Resolving Lateral Elbow Pain.  Study Design: Single case study.  Method: A 54year old female with lateral epicondylalgia. Subject underwent formal evaluation of inclusion criteria of the study in which the clinical test was done and signed written consent has been taken from the subject. The participant underwent four weeks of supervised physiotherapy intervention Treatment involved a multi-modal strategy: targeted strengthening, bimodal wrist extensor training (both concentric and eccentric), and localized ultrasound.  Outcome Measures: PRTEE (The Patient-Rated Tennis Elbow Evaluation), hand held Dynamometer.  Result: The results were definitive: prioritizing the scapular muscles led to a more rapid easing of symptoms and a sharper recovery of hand function. Both the subjective pain scales and the objective grip strength measurements showed a markedly better trajectory following the intervention.  Conclusion: Four weeks of scapular muscle strengthening exercise training have beneficial effects on lateral epicondylalgia results in improved pain and functional disability.