Achilles Tendinopathy Case Study

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Achilles tendinopathy (previously referred to as achilles tendinitis) is a very commonly diagnosed injury in active populations, and especially among runners. Previously referred to as achilles tendinitis, this condition has recently been shown to be more of a failed healing response in the tendon than an inflammatory response to stress 1. Among the most commonly diagnosed overuse injuries, achilles tendinopathy (AT) accounts for 5-18% of running injuries, and occurs in about 7 – 9% of runners. 2 3 The repetitive motion of running and/or jumping can easily overload the tendon, and push it beyond its ability to recover from the stresses placed on it. Symptoms are commonly experienced at either the midportion or insertion of the tendon and include …show more content…

In this study by Rompe et al. 8 a shockwave is generated in a handheld device then transferred to the patient using standard ultrasound gel as the coupling agent. The energy generated by the device varies greatly depending on the parameters used. In this instance, SWT was given three different times, with a week between each of the sessions. Each time a patient received treatment, 2000 pulses were delivered at a pressure of 2.5 bars. Participants in this study were divided between two different groups, and performed either eccentric loading exercises, or received SWT. The outcome measures of interest for the researchers were the subjects’ VISA-A score and whether or not they rated their achilles as worse, no difference, much improved, or fully recovered. These measures were taken at baseline and at the end of the study at 16 weeks. At 16 weeks, there was no significant difference between the ELE and SWT groups in mean VISA-A scores. The patient’s rating of the function of their achilles, however, showed significant difference. In the ELE group, only 28% of patients rated their achilles either much improved or fully recovered compared to 64% in the SWT group. This difference was statistically significant and demonstrated better recovery in the SWT group than in the ELE

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