Backward Running on a Negative Slope as a Treatment for Achilles Tendinopathy in Runners

NCT04632979 | Completed DMC

• 1 other identifier: MeuhedetHCO1
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 14
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This study will look to evaluate the feasibility of a backwards downhill running program as an option for the treatment of Achilles tendinopathy in runners. It is known that exercise on the Achilles tendon during elongation (eccentric exercise) improves tendon function after injury. However, during recovery, the patient is required to stop tendon-loading activities such as jumps and sprints. Therefore, during recovery, athletes decline in physical fitness. Backward running on a negative slope can achieve a biomechanical load similar to eccentric exercise without decreasing physical fitness.

Conditions

Achilles Tendinopathy

Keywords

Achilles tendinopathy; backward running; exercise; running overuse injury

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (12)

• VISA-A questionnaire

  Subjective questionnaire specific for Achilles tendinopathy

  baseline

• VISA-A questionnaire

  Subjective questionnaire specific for Achilles tendinopathy

  two weeks

• VISA-A questionnaire

  Subjective questionnaire specific for Achilles tendinopathy

  three weeks

• VISA-A questionnaire

  Subjective questionnaire specific for Achilles tendinopathy

  five weeks

• Number of single legged heel raises from a flat surface before the onset of pain

  Heel raise height will be defined by a pretest of one maximum single legged heel raise assessed by a measuring tape in centimeters

  baseline

• Number of single legged heel raises from a flat surface before the onset of pain

  Heel raise height will be defined by a pretest of one maximum single legged heel raise assessed by a measuring tape in centimeters

  two weeks

• Number of single legged heel raises from a flat surface before the onset of pain

  Heel raise height will be defined by a pretest of one maximum single legged heel raise assessed by a measuring tape in centimeters

  three weeks

• Number of single legged heel raises from a flat surface before the onset of pain

  Heel raise height will be defined by a pretest of one maximum single legged heel raise assessed by a measuring tape in centimeters

  five weeks

• Onset of relevant Achilles tendon pain (measured in seconds) during Forward running at a self-selected comfortable pace on a treadmill

  Forward running on treadmill until the onset of relevant pain

  baseline

• Onset of relevant Achilles tendon pain (measured in seconds) during Forward running at a self-selected comfortable pace on a treadmill

  Forward running on treadmill until the onset of relevant pain

  three weeks

• Onset of relevant Achilles tendon pain (measured in seconds) during Forward running at a self-selected comfortable pace on a treadmill

  Forward running on treadmill until the onset of relevant pain

  five weeks

• Compliance

  Treatment sessions will be calculated upon the patient's completion of the full treatment protocol for that specific session. Inclusion will be terminated upon lack of fulfilling the treatment protocol or failing to complete a total of at least eight sessions.

  five weeks

Study Arms (1)

Backward runners

EXPERIMENTAL

Training protocol patients

Procedure: Backwards running on a Treadmil with a negative slope

Interventions

Backwards running on a Treadmil with a negative slope PROCEDURE

Running backward on a treadmill with a negative slope

Backward runners

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 70 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Distinct tenderness of Achilles tendon with no pain in the neighboring structures.
• Nontraumatic diffuse pain in the posterior calf with local tenderness in the Achilles tendon.
• A history of running for at least one session a week in the past three months.
• Age \> 18 and \< 70

You may not qualify if:

• Achilles pain longer than six months.
• Patients with an additional lower extremity injury unable to bear full weight on the limb.
• Patients who are currently receiving physical therapy for Achilles tendinopathy, have received a steroid injection into the tendon in the three months prior, or underwent Achilles tendon surgery.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Meuhedet. Healthcare Organization: lead

Study Sites (1)

Meuhedet Health Services

Jerusalem, Israel

Location

Related Publications (3)

• Braunstein M, Baumbach SF, Herterich V, Bocker W, Polzer H. [Acute achilles tendon rupture : State of the art]. Unfallchirurg. 2017 Dec;120(12):1007-1014. doi: 10.1007/s00113-017-0420-4. German.

  PMID: 29038897 BACKGROUND

• Bovend'Eerdt TJ, Botell RE, Wade DT. Writing SMART rehabilitation goals and achieving goal attainment scaling: a practical guide. Clin Rehabil. 2009 Apr;23(4):352-61. doi: 10.1177/0269215508101741. Epub 2009 Feb 23.

  PMID: 19237435 BACKGROUND

• Billingham SA, Whitehead AL, Julious SA. An audit of sample sizes for pilot and feasibility trials being undertaken in the United Kingdom registered in the United Kingdom Clinical Research Network database. BMC Med Res Methodol. 2013 Aug 20;13:104. doi: 10.1186/1471-2288-13-104.

  PMID: 23961782 BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Motor Activity

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Behavior

Study Officials

• Shmuel Springer, prof

  Ariel University, Physical Therapy Department

  STUDY DIRECTOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NA
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: SINGLE GROUP
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: November 9, 2020
• First Posted: November 17, 2020
• Study Start: October 3, 2019
• Primary Completion: April 1, 2020
• Study Completion: May 1, 2020
• Last Updated: November 17, 2020

Record last verified: 2019-09

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

IL (1)