title: Effects of short-term treatment strategies over 4 weeks in Achilles tendinopathy.
abstract: 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, alpha = 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Sports Medicine, Institute of Sports Medicine and Prevention, University of Potsdam, Brandenburg, Germany. fmayer@uni-potsdam.de
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mayer
authors.forename: Anja
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hirschmüller
authors.forename: Steffen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schuberth
authors.forename: Heiner
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Baur
mesh_terms: D000125:Achilles Tendon / Q000293:injuries*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology; D059408:Pain Management; D010147:Pain Measurement; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities; D012420:Running / Q000293:injuries*; D052256:Tendinopathy / Q000628:therapy*; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome