Vitamin D3 and exercise for elbow pain relief

Effect of Vitamin D3 Combined With Extensor Muscle Strengthening Exercise in Lateral Epicondylitis of Elbow: a Randomized Controlled Trial

NA · Chuncheon Sacred Heart Hospital · NCT06055491

This study is testing if vitamin D3 injections along with strengthening exercises can help people with elbow pain feel better and recover faster.

Quick facts

PhaseNA
Study typeInterventional
Enrollment100 (estimated)
Ages20 Years and up
SexAll
SponsorChuncheon Sacred Heart Hospital (other)
Locations1 site (Chuncheon, Gangwon)
Trial IDNCT06055491 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this trial studies

This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of vitamin D3 injections combined with strengthening exercises for patients suffering from lateral epicondylitis of the elbow. Participants will receive either a vitamin D3 or saline injection in the deltoid muscle, along with a regimen of extensor muscle strengthening exercises using a counterforce brace. The study will assess improvements in functional scores, sonographic findings, and plasma vitamin D3 levels over a period of six months. The goal is to determine if the combined treatment leads to significant differences in recovery compared to a control group.

Who should consider this trial

Good fit: Ideal candidates are adults over 20 years old with persistent lateral epicondylitis symptoms lasting more than three months.

Not a fit: Patients with a history of elbow surgery, significant tendon tears, inflammatory diseases, or neurological deficits in the upper limb may not benefit from this study.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could provide a new, effective treatment option for patients with chronic elbow pain due to lateral epicondylitis.

How similar studies have performed: While there have been studies on vitamin D3 and exercise separately, this specific combination approach is relatively novel and has not been extensively tested.

Eligibility criteria

Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria:

* lateral epicondylitis(LE) of elbow symptoms that persisted of increased for more than 3 months in which LE was defined as pain on the lateral side of the elbow and pain at the lateral epicondyle upon direct palpation and during resisted dorsiflexion of the wrist

Exclusion Criteria:

* younger than 20 years
* history of ipsilateral elbow surgery
* common extensor tendon tears more than 30% in depth
* inflammatory diseases (rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, etc)
* osteoarthritis with a limitation of range of motion (flexion contracture \>30 degree and further flexion \< 100 degree)
* neurological deficits in the ipsilateral upper limb,and follow-ups less than 24 weeks

Where this trial is running

Chuncheon, Gangwon

Study contacts

How to participate

  1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
  2. Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
  3. Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.

View on ClinicalTrials.gov →

Conditions: Lateral Epicondylitis of Elbow, Vitamin D3 injection, extensor strengthening exercise with counterforce brace, plasma Vitamin D3 level, visual analog scale of pain, Mayo Elbow Performance Score, sonographic evaluation

Last reviewed 2026-05-15 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.