The study found that tailored rehabilitation protocols can significantly improve tendon strain conditions, with exercises like unilateral heel drops and walking falling within the optimal strain range for healing.
Patients experienced satisfactory long-term outcomes, returning to normal physical activity with improved clinical and functional results as assessed by various scores and tests.
Patients with AT demonstrated significantly reduced peak loading of the Achilles tendon during high-load exercises compared to controls, indicating the use of compensatory strategies to manage tendon load during rehabilitation.
Patients experienced a mean reduction in pain of 2.3 points on a 10-point scale, equating to a 47% reduction in average reported pain levels, with some reporting further improvement three months post-treatment.
Positive outcomes from treatment include a return to sport in 80% of affected athletes and a return to duty in 90-100% of military members. Successful rehabilitation can restore function and reduce the risk of future injuries.
The study indicates that a high proportion of clinicians screen for psychological and psychosocial factors, which may lead to improved management of tendinopathy, although the effectiveness of these assessments is uncertain due to the infrequent use of validated tools.