HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS REGISTER		Author Keyword(s) Vol Page [Advanced]

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: bjsm.2006.031732v1 41/7/e6    most recent Submit a response Read responses to this article Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this link to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Add article to my folders Download to citation manager Request Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Mayer, F. Articles by Baur, H. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Mayer, F. Articles by Baur, H.

Effects of short-term treatment strategies over 4 weeks in Achilles tendinopathy

¹ Department of Sports Medicine, Institute of Sports Medicine and Prevention, University of Potsdam, Brandenburg, Germany
² Medical Clinic, Department of Rehabilitative and Preventive Sports Medicine, University Clinic of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
³ Clinic of Neurology, Department of Neurophysiology, University Clinic of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany

Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
Professor Dr F Mayer
Department of Sports Medicine, Institute of Sports Medicine and Prevention, University of Potsdam, Am Neuen Palais 10, Haus 12, 14469 Potsdam, Germany; fmayer{at}uni-potsdam.de

Background: The therapeutic efficacy of non-surgical treatment strategies in Achilles tendinopathy (AT) has not been well clarified. Time-consuming and costly combinations of treatment for pain, physiotherapy and biomechanical procedures are often applied.

Objective: To analyse the efficacy of single therapeutic regimens commonly used over a short period of 4 weeks.

Methods: 31 male runners (mileage >32 km/week) with unilateral, untreated AT completed 4 weeks of either physiotherapy (10 treatments: deep-friction, pulsed ultrasound, ice, sensory motor training; (P)), wearing custom fit semirigid insoles (I) or remained without treatment (control group C). Before and after treatment, all patients underwent a treadmill test and a plantar flexion strength exercise. Subjective pain (Pain Disability Index, Pain Experience Scale), as well as strength performance capacity (peak torque), was analysed (mean, 95% CI, repeated measures analysis of variance, = 0.05).

Results: Pain was reduced to <50% of the baseline value after physiotherapy or after wearing insoles (p<0.05). Individual pain reduction was >50% (25%) in 89% (100%) of subjects in I and 55% (73%) in P. Higher eccentric plantar flexion peak torques after treatment were observed in I and P.

Conclusions: Most patients with AT experience a reduction in pain after only 4 weeks of differentiated, non-surgical treatment consisting of physiotherapy or semirigid insoles.

Abbreviations: AT, Achilles tendinopathy; C, control group; I, group wearing insoles; IAT, individual’s anaerobic threshold; P, group undergoing physiotherapy; PDI, Pain Disability Index; PES, Pain Experience Scale

eLetters: