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Clinical improvement after 6 weeks of eccentric exercise in patients with mid-portion Achilles tendinopathy - a randomized trial with 1-year follow-up.

Roos, Ewa LU ; Engström, Mikael ; Lagerquist, Annika and Söderberg, Bengt (2004) In Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports 14(5). p.286-295
Abstract
Achilles tendinopathy is common and treatment with eccentric exercises seems promising. We designed a prospective randomized clinical trial to test the hypothesis that eccentric calf muscle exercises reduce pain and improve function in patients with Achilles tendinopathy. Forty-four patients were recruited from primary care (mean age: 45 years; 23 women; 65% active in sports) and randomized to three treatment groups for 12 weeks: eccentric exercises, a night splint or a combination of both treatments. Pain and function were evaluated at 6, 12, 26 and 52 weeks by the Foot and Ankle Outcome Score. At 6 weeks, the eccentric group reported a significant pain reduction (27% compared with baseline, P=0.007) which lasted for 1 year (42%,... (More)
Achilles tendinopathy is common and treatment with eccentric exercises seems promising. We designed a prospective randomized clinical trial to test the hypothesis that eccentric calf muscle exercises reduce pain and improve function in patients with Achilles tendinopathy. Forty-four patients were recruited from primary care (mean age: 45 years; 23 women; 65% active in sports) and randomized to three treatment groups for 12 weeks: eccentric exercises, a night splint or a combination of both treatments. Pain and function were evaluated at 6, 12, 26 and 52 weeks by the Foot and Ankle Outcome Score. At 6 weeks, the eccentric group reported a significant pain reduction (27% compared with baseline, P=0.007) which lasted for 1 year (42%, P=0.001). The two groups treated with a night splint also reported significant but less pain reduction than the eccentric group. Differences between all the three groups were not significant. At 12 weeks, the eccentric group reported significantly less pain than the splint-only group (P=0.04). More patients in the eccentric group than in the splint group returned to sport after 12 weeks. We conclude that eccentric exercises seem to reduce pain and improve function in patients with Achilles tendinopathy. Our results are in line with previous studies and strengthen the recommendation that patients should undergo an eccentric exercise program prior to considering other treatments such as surgery. (Less)
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author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports
volume
14
issue
5
pages
286 - 295
publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
external identifiers
  • pmid:15387802
  • wos:000224067200003
  • scopus:5444271625
ISSN
1600-0838
DOI
10.1111/j.1600-0838.2004.378.x
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
c8ca6715-9ffb-4a12-9d86-b49741ab25b8 (old id 127202)
alternative location
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=15387802
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 15:34:01
date last changed
2022-04-22 08:20:05
@article{c8ca6715-9ffb-4a12-9d86-b49741ab25b8,
  abstract     = {{Achilles tendinopathy is common and treatment with eccentric exercises seems promising. We designed a prospective randomized clinical trial to test the hypothesis that eccentric calf muscle exercises reduce pain and improve function in patients with Achilles tendinopathy. Forty-four patients were recruited from primary care (mean age: 45 years; 23 women; 65% active in sports) and randomized to three treatment groups for 12 weeks: eccentric exercises, a night splint or a combination of both treatments. Pain and function were evaluated at 6, 12, 26 and 52 weeks by the Foot and Ankle Outcome Score. At 6 weeks, the eccentric group reported a significant pain reduction (27% compared with baseline, P=0.007) which lasted for 1 year (42%, P=0.001). The two groups treated with a night splint also reported significant but less pain reduction than the eccentric group. Differences between all the three groups were not significant. At 12 weeks, the eccentric group reported significantly less pain than the splint-only group (P=0.04). More patients in the eccentric group than in the splint group returned to sport after 12 weeks. We conclude that eccentric exercises seem to reduce pain and improve function in patients with Achilles tendinopathy. Our results are in line with previous studies and strengthen the recommendation that patients should undergo an eccentric exercise program prior to considering other treatments such as surgery.}},
  author       = {{Roos, Ewa and Engström, Mikael and Lagerquist, Annika and Söderberg, Bengt}},
  issn         = {{1600-0838}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{5}},
  pages        = {{286--295}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  series       = {{Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports}},
  title        = {{Clinical improvement after 6 weeks of eccentric exercise in patients with mid-portion Achilles tendinopathy - a randomized trial with 1-year follow-up.}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/4422142/624077.pdf}},
  doi          = {{10.1111/j.1600-0838.2004.378.x}},
  volume       = {{14}},
  year         = {{2004}},
}