| Sumario: | Background: Common wrist extensor tendon (CET) stiffness is an understudied risk factor for lateral elbow tendinopathy. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the immediate and short-term effects of soft tissue mobilization (STM) versus self-stretching on CET stiffness in a group of recreational tennis players. Methods: Stiffness, measured with the shear wave modulus in kilopascals (kPa), was obtained at rest on the dominant CET using 2D SWE ultrasound imaging (GE Logiq S8, 9 L, linear transducer). Participants were randomly assigned to a treatment group (STM or self-stretching). Stiffness measures were taken immediately post-treatment and 15-minutes post-treatment. Within examiner intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC (3, 1) were calculated. A repeated measures ANOVA using one between variable group (STM or stretching) and one within variable group (initial, post-treatment, and 15 minutes post-treatment) was used. Results: Thirty-two participants (mean age = 58.2 ± 12.1 yr) were randomized into the STM (n = 16) or stretching group (n = 16). There were no group differences in body mass index, age, frequency of play, or activity levels (p >.10). The within day intra-rater reliability was excellent (ICC =.98 (95% CI =.95–.99). There was a significant interaction between group and time (p =.015). There was a significant decline in CET stiffness in the STM group compared to the stretching group between pre-treatment and post-treatment and between pre-treatment and 15 minutes post-treatment ((p ≤.013), mean change > −39.64, Cohen's d >.55). Conclusion: The reduction in stiffness values cannot be solely attributed to our STM intervention secondary to the lack of a control group. Nevertheless, clinicians may consider STM techniques over self-stretching for the purpose of mitigating CET stiffness in healthy middle-aged recreational tennis players.
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