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Eccentric exercise protocols for chronic non‐insertional Achilles tendinopathy: how much is enough?
Author(s) -
Meyer A.,
Tumilty S.,
Baxter G. D.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
scandinavian journal of medicine and science in sports
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.575
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1600-0838
pISSN - 0905-7188
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0838.2009.00981.x
Subject(s) - eccentric , tendinopathy , eccentric training , medicine , eccentric exercise , physical therapy , randomized controlled trial , dose , physical medicine and rehabilitation , surgery , muscle damage , tendon , physics , quantum mechanics
Eccentric exercises for the calf muscles have been shown to be effective for chronic non‐insertional Achilles tendinopathy (AT). However, the relative effectiveness of various dosages is unknown. A systematic review of randomized‐controlled trials (RCTs) was designed to determine whether an optimum dose of eccentric exercises could be recommended. Three selected RCTs showed positive effects of very similar eccentric exercise protocols for chronic non‐insertional AT. Owing to insufficient reported compliance data, a conclusion on the relative effectiveness of various compliances was not feasible. According to our review, the relative effectiveness of various dosages of eccentric exercises for AT is still unclear. However, it appears that highly variable compliance rates result in similar positive outcomes; these findings, therefore, highlight the need for further investigations.