Impacto dos exercícios excêntricos na dor e função de pacientes com epicondilite lateral: revisão de literatura

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Lateral epicondylitis is a frequent, degenerative condition with significant functional impact, demanding effective, accessible, and sustainable therapeutic strategies. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the impact of eccentric exercises on pain reduction and functional improvement in patients with lateral epicondylitis and to compare their results with other physiotherapeutic approaches described in the literature. METHODOLOGY: A narrative literature review, qualitative in nature and descriptive-analytical in character, guided by the PICO strategy. The search was conducted in the PubMed/MEDLINE, SciELO, and Google Scholar databases, using descriptors in Portuguese and English, encompassing publications between 2015 and 2025. Twelve studies were included, among them clinical trials, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and case studies. RESULTS: Eccentric exercises produced a significant reduction in pain and functional improvement in all studies that directly evaluated them, with more lasting results than those obtained by corticosteroid infiltration, therapeutic taping, and isolated electrotherapeutic resources. The multimodal approach enhanced clinical outcomes. The heterogeneity of the identified protocols limited direct comparisons between studies. FINAL CONSIDERATIONS: Eccentric exercise is an effective, accessible, and biologically sound intervention for the conservative treatment of lateral epicondylitis, and is recommended as a primary therapeutic strategy.