ArticleCureus2024
Effectiveness of Low-Level Laser Therapy Combined With Eccentric Exercise in Treating Midportion Achilles Tendinopathy: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
Article in Cureus, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.
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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.
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Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed.
- Parameter-screened LED therapy targets STAT3/IL-6 axis to attenuate tendinopathy via dual modulation of inflammation and ECM remodeling.Journal of orthopaedic surgery and research · 2026Article
- Extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) and radial pressure waves (RPW) May improve post-operative recovery following insertional Achilles tendon surgeries: a case-control pilot study.Journal of orthopaedic surgery and research · 2025Article
- Exercise, radial pressure waves, and photobiomodulation for management of non-insertional Achilles tendinopathy in runners: a three-arm non-blinded randomised control trial.BMJ open sport & exercise medicine · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background Achilles tendinopathy is a common overuse tendon injury, affecting athletes in running and similar sports. Repetitive overload of the Achilles tendon is the primary cause of inflammation, collagen degeneration, and tendon thickening. This study aims to investigate the efficacy of combining low-level laser therapy (LLLT) with eccentric exercises in treating midportion Achilles tendinopathy. Methods This prospective randomized controlled trial was conducted at the Sports Injury Centre, Vardhman Mahavir Medical College and Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi, from 2019 to 2022. Sixty clinically diagnosed patients with midportion Achilles tendinopathy, aged 18 to 60, were randomly assigned to two groups: Group A received eccentric exercises with LLLT, and Group B received eccentric exercises with placebo LLLT. The Victorian Institute of Sport Assessment-Achilles (VISA-A) score and the visual analog scale (VAS) score were used to measure treatment effectiveness at baseline and three, six, 12, and 24 weeks. Results The study included 60 participants, with no dropouts observed. The mean age was 33.9 ± 8.3 years in Group A and 33.40 ± 8.64 years in Group B, with no significant difference between the groups (p = 0.821). Both groups showed significant improvement in VISA-A and VAS scores over time (p < 0.001), but there was no statistically significant difference between the groups at any time point (p > 0.05). Conclusion Adding LLLT to eccentric exercises did not provide significant additional benefits compared to eccentric exercises alone in treating midportion Achilles tendinopathy. Practitioners should prioritize evidence-based interventions, such as eccentric exercises, as the primary treatment modality while considering alternative therapies for adjunctive purposes. Further research is needed to explore additional modalities or combination therapies that may enhance outcomes for patients with Achilles tendinopathy.
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