Trial reportScandinavian journal of medicine & science in sports2020
Isometric exercises do not provide immediate pain relief in Achilles tendinopathy: A quasi-randomized clinical trial.
Trial report in Scandinavian journal of medicine & science in sports, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
8 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 37 citations in OpenAlex.
- UK Defence Rehabilitation consensus agreement for the conservative management of Achilles and patellar tendinopathy: a modified Delphi approach.BMJ military health · 2026Pooled it
- Effectiveness of Exercise Treatments with or without Adjuncts for Common Lower Limb Tendinopathies: A Living Systematic Review and Network Meta-analysis.Sports medicine - open · 2023Pooled it
- Isometric exercises do not provide immediate pain relief in Achilles tendinopathy: A quasi-randomized clinical trial.Scandinavian journal of medicine & science in sports · 2020Trial
- Effectiveness of Kinesiotherapy in the Treatment of Achilles Tendinopathy-A Narrative Review.Sports (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Review
- Mitochondrial transfer from bone mesenchymal stem cells protects against tendinopathy both in vitro and in vivo.Stem cell research & therapy · 2023Article
- An Isometric and Functionally Based 4-Stage Progressive Loading Program in Achilles Tendinopathy: A 12-Month Pilot Study.Translational sports medicine · 2022Article
- Resistance Training Interventions for Lower Limb Tendinopathies: A Scoping Review of Resistance Training Reporting Content, Quality, and Scientific Implementation.Translational sports medicine · 2022Article
- Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundIsometric exercises may provide an immediate analgesic effect in patients with lower-limb tendinopathy and have been proposed as initial treatment and for immediate pain relief. Current evidence is conflicting, and previous studies were small.
objectiveTo study whether isometric exercises result in an immediate analgesic effect in patients with chronic midportion Achilles tendinopathy.
methodsPatients with clinically diagnosed chronic midportion Achilles tendinopathy were quasi-randomized to one of four arms: isometric calf-muscle exercises (tiptoes), isometric calf-muscle exercises (dorsiflexed ankle position), isotonic calf-muscle exercises, or rest. The primary outcome was pain measured on a visual analogue scale (VAS) score (0-100) during a functional task (10 unilateral hops) both before and after the intervention. Between-group differences were analyzed using a generalized estimation equations model.
resultsWe included 91 patients. There was no significant reduction in pain on the 10 hop test after performing any of the four interventions: isometric (tiptoes) group 0.2, 95%CI -11.2 to 11.5; isometric (dorsiflexed) group -1.9, 95%CI -13.6 to 9.7; isotonic group 1.4, 95%CI -8.3 to 11.1; and rest group 7.2, 95%CI -2.4 to 16.7. There were also no between-group differences after the interventions.
conclusionThe isometric exercises investigated in this study did not result in immediate analgesic benefit in patients with chronic midportion Achilles tendinopathy. We do not recommend isometric exercises if the aim is providing immediate pain relief. Future research should focus on the use of isometric or isotonic exercise therapy as initial treatment as all exercise protocols used in this study were well-tolerated.
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Registered trials
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