Authors' objectives: To determine whether there is any evidence on the effectiveness of extra corporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) in treating biceps tendinopathy.

Authors' results and conclusions: A total of 122 published studies were identified through the search - 34 from MEDLINE, 21 from CINAHL, 30 from CENTRAL, and 37 from EMBASE. After duplicates were removed, 83 published studies were identified through the search - 34 from MEDLINE, 14 from CINAHL, 21 from CENTRAL, and 14 from EMBASE. Upon examination of the titles and abstracts of these published studies, there were 17 studies thought to be relevant to ESWT use in treating bicep tendinopathy; 49 were excluded due to incorrect population, seven due to incorrect interventions, three due to incorrect study design, and seven were animal studies. Of the 17 studies that were retrieved in full, four were excluded due to incorrect population and six were excluded due to incorrect study design. A manual search of the references from the studies selected for full text screening revealed one additional systematic review. Four systematic reviews on ESWT use in treating bicep tendinopathy were identified. Therefore, there are three new published studies that are relevant to this systematic review. There are two moderate-low quality studies (level of evidence 1) and one low-quality study (level of evidence 4) reporting on the efficacy of ESWT for the treatment of bicep tendinopathy. In two cases, ESWT treatment seems to improve pain outcomes compared to minimal/no intervention at both short and long term timepoints while improving functional outcomes at intermediate timepoints (three months). However, other active interventions had statistically significant improvement in pain/functional outcomes compared to ESWT at short term timepoints (? 1 month). It should be noted that selection bias, lack of studies/population, and methodological inconsistencies cannot be excluded from the reported outcomes. Therefore, further studies need to be completed to determine if there is conclusive evidence reporting on the efficacy of ESWT in the treatment of bicep tendinopathy.

Authors' methods: A systematic literature search was started on May 14, 2025 and was conducted on commercial medical literature databases. The search was done by employing combinations of keywords. No other limitations on were implemented in any of these searches. A manual search was also planned and conducted on the references of the articles that were retrieved in full.

Project Status: Completed

URL for project: https://www.worksafebc.com/en/about-us/research-services/evidence-based-medicine-and-systematic-reviews

Year Published: 2025

URL for published report: https://www.worksafebc.com/en/resources/health-care-providers/guides/eswt-in-treating-biceps-tendinopathy?lang=en&origin=s&returnurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.worksafebc.com%2Fen%2Fforms-resources%23sort%3DDate%26q%3DEffectiveness%2520of%2520Extra%2520Corporeal%2520Shockwave%2520Therapy%2520(ESWT)%2520in%2520Treating%2520Biceps%2520Tendinopathy%26f%3Alanguage-facet%3D%5BEnglish%5D%26tags%3DGuide%7C2d7eb4b30f6a4a319e0d40565c9abbab%2CHealth%2520Care%2520Provider%7C13468b0b3f074f6bade3f57ac3cdfb8e%2CSystematic%2520Review%7Cf78c29d570c14ec3b5a394385905df70&highlight=Effectiveness%20of%20Extra%20Corporeal%20Shockwave%20Therapy%20(ESWT)%20in%20Treating%20Biceps%20Tendinopathy

English language abstract: An English language summary is available

Publication Type: Mini HTA

Country: Canada

Organisation Name: WorkSafeBC

Contact Address: 6591 Westminster Highway, Richmond, BC, V7C 1C6 Canada. Tel: 604-231-8417; Fax: 604-279-7698

Contact Name: ebpg@worksafebc.com

Contact Email: ebpg@worksafebc.com

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