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Table 1 Baseline characteristics. Baseline characteristics of participants according to treatment groups and total study population. Values are numbers (percentages) unless otherwise stated

From: Corticosteroid or placebo injection combined with deep transverse friction massage, Mills manipulation, stretching and eccentric exercise for acute lateral epicondylitis: a randomised, controlled trial

  

Control

Placebo injection with physiotherapy

Corticosteroid injection with physiotherapy

Total

  

(n = 60)

(n = 58)

(n = 59)

(N = 177)

Age

years, mean (SD)

44.0 (9.7)

48.8 (9.4)

47.9 (9.6)

46.9 (9.7)

Women

 

25 (42)

20 (35)

26 (44)

71 (40)

Higher education*

 

15 (25)

24 (41)

13 (22)

52 (29)

Exercises regularly

 

30 (50)

32 (55)

24 (41)

86 (49)

Paid work

 

53 (88)

49 (85)

52 (88)

154 (87)

Paid work

 

53 (88)

49 (85)

52 (88)

154 (87)

Manual labor

 

36 (60)

29 (50)

35 (59)

100 (57)

On paid sick-leave now**

 

14 (26)

14 (29)

23 (44)

51 (33)

Duration of complaints

(weeks, median (IQR))

7.5 (4‐10)

8 (4‐10)

6 (4‐10)

8 (4‐10)

Dominant elbow affected

 

41 (68)

42 (72)

43 (73)

126 (71)

Pain every day past week

 

58 (97)

55 (95)

57 (97)

170 (96)

Use of analgesics past week

 

15 (25)

15 (26)

25 (42)

55 (31)

Acute start of symptoms

 

42 (70)

25 (43)

27 (46)

94 (53)

Similar complaints earlier ++

 

16 (27)

9 (16)

16 (27)

41 (23)

Presumed cause

     

 overuse, usual activitities

 

34 (57)

38 (66)

38 (64)

110 (62)

 overuse, unusual activities

 

25 (42)

19 (33)

21 (36)

65 (37)

Patient’s preference for treatment

     

 Physiotherapy

 

17 (28)

26 (45)

24 (41)

67 (38)

 Injections

 

15 (25)

6 (10)

19 (32)

40 (23)

 Wait and see

 

6 (10)

3 (5)

2 (3)

11 (6)

 No preference

 

22 (37)

22 (38)

14 (24)

58 (33)

Pain Score on VAS (0‐100 mm)

mean (sd)

48 (21.5)

53 (19.3)

56 (19.7)

52 (20.4)

Affected Function on VAS (0: not affected, 100: very much affected)

mean (sd)

53 (21.8)

54 (22.5)

53 (21.7)

53 (21.9)

Overall Complaints on VAS (0: no complaints, 100: very large complaints)

mean (sd)

62 (20.5)

62 (19.3)

69 (17.1)

64 (19.2)

Pain-free grip strength ratio***

mean (sd)

35 (27)

38 (27)

37 (27)

36 (27)

Maximum grip strength ratio***

mean (sd)

72 (29)

77 (42)

70 (28)

73 (34)

Pain Free Function Index****

mean (sd)

5.4 (1.6)

5.3 (1.8)

5.5 (1.7)

5.4 (1.7)

Pain-free isometric dorsiflexion of wrist+

 

0/60 (0)

0/58 (0)

2/59 (3)

2/177 (3)

Pain-free isometric extension of third finger+

 

8/59 (14)

2/58 (3)

4/59 (7)

14/176 (8)

  1. *: university/college
  2. **: percentage of those with paid work
  3. ***: ratio affected/unaffected arm (x 100)
  4. ****: 0: full function, 8: no function
  5. +: score 1 on 3 point Likert scale (1-no pain, 2-some pain, 3‐strong pain)
  6. ++: at least 3 months prior to current episode