Current Perspectives on Active Release Technique and Myofascial Release Technique in Housewives with Lateral Epicondylitis
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.69968/ijisem.2026v5i3153-159Keywords:
Lateral Epicondylitis, Active Release Technique, Myofascial Release Technique, Pain, Functional PerformanceAbstract
Lateral epicondylitis is a frequently occurring overuse musculoskeletal condition caused by repetitive use of the wrist, lifting and gripping actions at home, which are commonly performed by housewives. Persistent pain, weaker grip strength and loss of upper-limb function considerably limit daily living abilities and quality of life. Conservative physiotherapy is still the primary approach to treatment and manual therapy techniques like Active Release Technique (ART) and Myofascial Release Technique (MFR) are becoming more and more important. The present review was an attempt to present the available evidence on the efficacy of ART and MFR on pain relief and functional performance in housewives having lateral epicondylitis. Pathophysiology of pain and functional impairment, principles and mechanisms of ART and MFR, clinical applications and recent clinical studies are discussed. There is some evidence that both methods are effective in reducing pain, improving grip strength and improving functional outcomes, especially combined with therapeutic exercises. But more high-quality, randomized controlled trials, specifically directed at housewives are required to develop standard treatment protocols.
References
[1] M. Kamani, D. C. Neve, D. S. Syed, and D. J. Nagulkar, “PREVALENCE OF TENNIS ELBOW AND RELATED PAIN AND DISABILITY AMONG HOUSEHOLD WOMEN: A CROSS SECTIONAL STUDY,” Int. J. Nov. Res. Dev., vol. 7, no. 11, pp. 622–626, 2022.
[2] V. Karabinov and G. P. Georgiev, “Lateral epicondylitis: New trends and challenges in treatment,” World J Orthop, vol. 13, no. 4, pp. 354–364, 2022, doi: 10.5312/wjo.v13.i4.354.
[3] S. Shahabi et al., “The effects of counterforce brace on pain in subjects with lateral elbow tendinopathy: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials,” Prosthet. Orthot. Int., vol. 44, no. 5, 2020, doi: 10.1177/0309364620930618.
[4] S. Dimitrios, “The Lived Experience of People with Lateral Elbow Tendinopathy in Greece - A Questionnaire survey,” J. Yoga Physiother., vol. 12, no. 1, pp. 10–13, 2024, doi: 10.19080/JYP.2024.12.555827.
[5] I. MS, A. M, P. S, H. M, U. K, and A. K, “Effects of Dry Needling in patients having Lateral Epicondylitis,” Cent. Med. Coll. J., vol. 9, no. 1, pp. 23–30, 2025.
[6] S. M. J. Alanazi, S. Sarrafan, and A. A. Alanazi, “Advances in the Diagnosis, Management, and Rehabilitation of Lateral Epicondylitis: A Comprehensive Review of Recent Evidence,” J. Pioneer. Med. Sci., vol. 14, no. 07, pp. 35–39, 2025.
[7] P. Trivedi, R. Arunachalam, R. Patel, and K. Vaittianadane, “Myofascial Release Technique with Virtual Reality Biofeedback in Lateral Epicondylitis – A Case Report,” Indian J. Public Heal. Res. Dev., vol. 11, no. 6, pp. 586–591, 2020.
[8] H. Gercek, E. Cihan, F. Celik, B. Sonmez Unuvar, and Z. Sari, “Pain, grip strength, and motor imagery reaction time are associated with pain and disability in individuals with chronic lateral elbow tendinopathy,” Musculoskelet. Sci. Pract., vol. 81, p. 103463, 2026, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msksp.2025.103463.
[9] M. H. Haider et al., “Prevalence of Lateral Epicondylitis and Associated Risk Factors Among Racket Sports Players in Lahore, Pakistan: A Cross-Sectional Study,” J. Heal. Wellness Community Res., vol. 4, no. 10, pp. 1–10, 2026.
[10] M. R. Khan, N. Mughal, A. Srivastav, V. Agarwal, Ravi, and Vidit, “To Study the Functional Outcome in Patients of Lateral Epicondylitis Treated with Platelet Rich Plasma,” Int. J. Pharm. Res. Technol., vol. 15, no. 1, pp. 1130–1136, 2025, doi: 10.31838/ijprt/15.01.
[11] P. Trivedi, D. Sathiyavani, G. Nambi, R. Khuman, K. Shah, and P. Bhatt, “COMPARISON OF ACTIVE RELEASE TECHNIQUE AND MYOFASCIAL RELEASE TECHNIQUE ON PAIN, GRIP STRENGTH & FUNCTIONAL PERFORMANCE IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC LATERAL EPICONDYLITIS,” Int. J. Physiother. Res., vol. 2, no. 3, 2014.
[12] H. Kaur, M. Paul, and A. B. Gupta, “The role of myofascial release technique and stretching exercises in the management of lateral epicondylitis,” NeuroQuantology, vol. 19, no. 5, pp. 410–418, 2021, doi: 10.48047/nq.2021.19.5.NQ21093.
[13] A. Hanif, S. Hafeez, T. Arif, and S. Habib, “Comparison of active release and post-isometric relaxation techniques on functional performance in patients with chronic lateral epicondylitis,” J. Musculoskelet. Surg. Res., vol. 8, no. 3, pp. 240–246, 2024, doi: 10.25259/JMSR.
[14] S. Chandran.K, N. Narayanankutty, S. V.T, P. D, Anjupriya. D, and N. Othayoth, “A Study to Compare the Effect of Active Release Technique and Myofascial Release Technique on Pain, Grip Strength & Functional Performance in Subjects with Lateral Epicondylitis,” Indian J. Physiother. Occup. Ther., vol. 15, no. 3, pp. 173–177, 2021.
[15] B. Kaur, K. Bhatia, and R. Sharma, “Effectiveness of Myofascial Release for Management of Lateral Epicondylitis: A Systematic Review Protocol,” J. Clin. Diagnostic Res., vol. 19, p. 80478, 2025, doi: 10.7860/JCDR/2025/80478.21604.
[16] M. S. Ajimsha, S. Chithra, and R. P. Thulasyammal, “Effectiveness of myofascial release in the management of lateral epicondylitis in computer professionals.,” Arch. Phys. Med. Rehabil., vol. 93, no. 4, pp. 604–609, Apr. 2012, doi: 10.1016/j.apmr.2011.10.012.
[17] M. Lin, L. Chou, H. Chen, and M. Kao, “Percutaneous Soft Tissue Release for Treating Chronic Recurrent Myofascial Pain Associated with Lateral Epicondylitis: 6 Case Studies,” Hindawi Publ. Corp., 2012, doi: 10.1155/2012/142941.
[18] H. Akbar, S. Akbar, M. N. Saddique, and M. S. Sarfraz, “Prevalence of lateral epicondylitis among housewives in Lahore: a cross-sectional stud,” BMC Musculoskelet. Disord., vol. 25, no. 815, 2024.
[19] P. Samagh, K. Sudhakar, and R. Jindal, “Lateral Epicondylitis: Impact on Demographic Variables,” J. Ergon., vol. 6, no. 3, 2016, doi: 10.4172/2165-7556.1000169.
[20] S. R. Uttamchandani and P. Phansopkar, “Conservative Management of Lateral Epicondylalgia: A Review,” Cureus, vol. 16, no. 5, pp. 1–6, 2024, doi: 10.7759/cureus.59875.
[21] A. Nagore, S. Samal, and V. M. Thakre, “Effectiveness of Active Release Technique With Conventional Therapy in the Management of Lateral Epicondylitis: A Case Report,” Cureus, vol. 15, no. 12, 2023, doi: 10.7759/cureus.50926.
[22] P. Dabkara, J. Daniel, M. Sharma, and A. Bose, “A Study to Compare the Effectiveness of Active Release Technique Versus Deep Friction Massage on Pain, Grip Strength and Functional Performance in Patients with Chronic Lateral Epicondylitis,” Indian J. Public Heal. Res. Dev., vol. 13, no. 3, 2022.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Shriya Payasi

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Re-users must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use. This license allows for redistribution, commercial and non-commercial, as long as the original work is properly credited.





