Effectiveness of Diamond Taping as an Adjunct to Conventional Physiotherapy on Pain Free Grip Strength in Subjects with Tennis Elbow

Background Tennis elbow is often thought to develop from excessive stress on common extensor origin. McConnell Taping is a treatment technique, which protects the tissue from excess external force and provide pain relief that allows for improved performance during exercise. This study aims at investigating the effects of McConnell taping on pain during gripping and grip strength using a simple and cost effective Modified Sphygmomanometer Test (MST). Materials and methods This study was done on sixty subjects with unilateral tennis elbow of age group 30- 64 years. Random allotment was done into either taping along with conventional physiotherapy or conventional physiotherapy alone groups. Both groups were assessed for pain intensity and grip strength at baseline and at the end of 4-week treatment. Results Prepost comparison showed reduced pain intensity and improved grip strength in both groups. However, this was not significant. Between-groups analysis showed significant reduction of pain in taping group 20.6 (95 % CI = -26.95 to -14.36) than conventional physiotherapy alone group. Improvement of grip strength in taping group was 57.5 (95 % CI = 31.23 to 83.30) greater than in conventional physiotherapy group. Conclusion McConnell taping provided better outcomes when administered along with conventional physiotherapy in short term when compared to conventional physiotherapy alone in tennis elbow patients.