Isometric Contraction-Based Pain Modulation Versus Eccentric Strengthening in Treating Achilles Tendinopathy

March 25, 2025 updated by: Muhammad Naveed Babur, Superior University
Achilles tendinopathy is a common overuse injury that leads to pain and functional limitations. Traditional rehabilitation focuses on eccentric strengthening, which has been widely studied for its benefits in promoting tendon remodeling and improving strength. However, recent research suggests that isometric contractions may offer superior pain modulation effects, especially in the early stages of rehabilitation.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Active, not recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

This study aims to compare the effectiveness of isometric contraction-based pain modulation versus eccentric strengthening in treating Achilles tendinopathy. Isometric exercises involve maintaining a static muscle contraction, which has been shown to reduce pain through neuromuscular mechanisms, potentially making it a valuable alternative or complement to eccentric loading.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
38

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Pakistan
    • Punjab
      • Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
        • Punjab Social Security Health Management Hospital Manga Raiwind

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Clinically Diagnosed with Achilles Tendinopathy using MRI
  • At least 3 months incidence period of Achilles Tendinopathy
  • Must be able to attend all treatment sessions and follow-up assessments.
  • Ability to walk independently without any assistive devices.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Severely restricted ROM of ankle
  • Patients who underwent surgery for Achilles tendinopathy
  • Patients who had undergone previous surgery of lower limb extremity
  • Those using ankle orthosis
  • Patients with systemic diseases affecting ankle (osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and osteoporosis)
  • Individuals with neurological disorders affecting the lower limbs.
  • Systemic Conditions like diabetes, cardiovascular diseases.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Health Services Research
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Isometric Contraction-Based Pain Modulation Protocol for Achilles Tendinopathy
Diagnostic test: Isometric Contraction-Based Pain Modulation Protocol for Achilles Tendinopathy
The standard recommendation for tendinopathy rehab became 30 to 45 second heavy isometric contractions repeated for 3 to 5 repetitions
Experimental: Eccentric Strengthening (Alfredson's Protocol for Achilles Tendinopathy )
Combination product: Eccentric Strengthening (Alfredson's Protocol for Achilles Tendinopathy )
The eccentric loading protocol, popularized by the research of Alfredson, consisted of 3 sets of 15 for both bent knee and straight knee heel raises with each heel lowering lasting 3-seconds

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
NUMERIC PAIN RATING SCALE (NPRS):
Time Frame: 12 Months
The Numeric Pain Rating Scale is a widely used, reliable, and user-friendly tool for assessing an individual's level of pain (NPRS). The patient is required to rate their level of discomfort using a self-reported scale with a range of 0 to 10, where ""0"" indicates no pain and ""10"" indicates the most excruciating pain.
12 Months
PRESSURE ALGOMETRY:
Time Frame: 12 Months
The pressure pain threshold (PPT), or the lowest force that causes pain in a particular body part, can be objectively measured using pressure algometry. To test sensitivity and identify shifts in pain perception, a portable instrument called a pressure algometer gently and gradually applies pressure to tissue, such as muscles or tendons. Pressure Algometry offers a methodical, objective way to measure pain sensitivity, which is commonly utilized in clinical and research contexts. It is frequently used to evaluate tenderness and pain in musculoskeletal issues, myofascial pain, and tendinopathy. Pressure algometry is a widely used tool to assess mechanical pain sensitivity by applying controlled pressure to a specific area and measuring the pain threshold. Its reliability is well-established, with intra-rater reliability coefficients ranging from 0.70 to 0.94, depending on the site of application and methodological consistency .
12 Months

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Superior University

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
March 20, 2025

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
June 20, 2025

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
February 20, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
March 25, 2025

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
March 25, 2025

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
April 1, 2025

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
April 1, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
March 25, 2025

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
March 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • MSRSW/Batch-Fall23/789

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

Cookie Settings

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. For more details carefully read our Privacy and Cookies Policy. ...>>>You can change your preferences or withdraw your consent at any time by deleting the cookies from your website or computer as described in the policy. Please accept it and choose your preferences by ticking the corresponding boxes in the "Manage Settings" section below. Please carefully read our Terms of Service before you proceed with using any part of this website.
«Manage Settings