Table 1.
Baseline characteristics of participants according to treatment group. Values are numbers (percentages) of participants*
| Injection (n=53) | Naproxen (n=53) | Placebo (n=58) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Demography | |||
| Age (⩾45 years) | 37 (70) | 36 (68) | 36 (62) |
| Sex (male) | 31 (59) | 25 (47) | 30 (52) |
| Social class (manual) | 27 (66) | 22 (51) | 28 (57) |
| Pain | |||
| Elbow pain today | 50 (94) | 51 (96) | 57 (98) |
| Pain every day for 1 week | 50 (94) | 47 (89) | 50 (86) |
| Duration of pain >3 months | 19 (36) | 13 (25) | 18 (31) |
| Both elbows affected | 7 (13) | 4 (8) | 4 (7) |
| Previous episode(s) | 10 (19) | 11 (21) | 11 (19) |
| Belief that current episode was activity induced | 30 (57) | 25 (47) | 30 (52) |
| Work | |||
| Employed | 38 (72) | 38 (72) | 48 (83) |
| Time off work | 6 (16) | 0 (0) | 7 (15) |
| General health | |||
| Long standing medical condition | 25 (47) | 24 (45) | 18 (31) |
| Medication or pain killers in past 48 hours | 41 (77) | 36 (68) | 41 (71) |
| Appearance | |||
| Superficially normal joint | 49 (93) | 49 (93) | 55 (95) |
| Skin atrophy present | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) |
| Movement and strength | |||
| Grip strength >300 mm Hg | 3 (6) | 1 (2) | 1 (2) |
| Definite pain on resisted extension of middle finger | 18 (34) | 24 (45) | 20 (35) |
| Definite pain on resisted extension of wrist | 22 (42) | 25 (47) | 28 (48) |
| Definite tenderness | 23 (43) | 15 (28) | 24 (41) |
| Disability | |||
| Dressing | 32 (63) | 29 (55) | 31 (57) |
| Feeding | 41 (79) | 44 (85) | 42 (72) |
| Washing | 38 (76) | 41 (77) | 45 (80) |
| Household tasks | 50 (94) | 49 (93) | 55 (95) |
| Opening doors | 24 (47) | 24 (48) | 26 (47) |
| Carrying objects | 51 (96) | 49 (93) | 57 (98) |
| With work | 46 (90) | 47 (90) | 52 (91) |
| With sport | 36 (77) | 35 (85) | 42 (82) |
*
Percentages may not calculate exactly because of missing data.