The Journal of family practice
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Placebo injections actually improve lateral epicondylitis at high rates. No other injections convincingly improve it better than placebo. Corticosteroid injection is not superior to saline or anesthetic injection (strength of recommendation [SOR] A, systematic review of randomized controlled trials [RCTs]). ⋯ Prolotherapy injection, compared to saline injection, improved pain at 16-week, but not at 8-week, follow-up (SOR B, one small pilot RCT). Hyaluronic acid injection, compared to saline injection, resulted in a statistically significant pain reduction (6%) but did not achieve the minimum clinically important difference (SOR B, single RCT). Autologous blood injection, compared to saline injection, did not improve disability ratings (SOR B, one small RCT).