Adherence to Eccentric Exercise for Achilles Tendon Pain: v1

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  What factors affect adherence to Alferdson's eccentric training program in patients with chronic mid-portion Achilles tendinopathy

• IRAS ID

  117211

• Sponsor organisation

  Cardiff Metropolitan University

• Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier

  na, na

• Research summary

  Background: Chronic (long term) Achilles tendinopathy (tendon pain) is a common condition that impacts many people’s ability to walk or play sports. The most effective clinical treatment is a programme of twice daily eccentric (lowering /stretching) exercises. This programme is time consuming, uncomfortable or painful, and normally requires prolonged participation to be effective. It has been demonstrated that people have difficulty completing the full treatment programme but the reasons for this have not been investigated. Benefits: An understanding of the factors that influence, positively and negatively, how much of the exercise is done will help to develop methods to improve the amount of the exercise future patients do and therefore the benefit of the programme for them. Purpose: The purpose of this study is therefore to investigate patients experience with eccentric exercise for treatment of Achilles tendinopathy. Methods: Patients who have been seen in physiotherapy outpatients and given this eccentric exercise programme for their chronic Achilles tendon pain will be contacted 3 months after their first appointment. They will be invited to attend a local hospital to be interviewed, once, about their experiences and thoughts regarding the exercise programme. This interview will last 20-60 minutes. The interviews will be transcribed and thematically analysed, participants will be sent a copy of the results to comment on if they wish. Funding: This trial is not funded. Proposed forum for dissemination: The final report will be submitted to Cardiff Metropolitan University in completion of a programme of study for an MSc in Sport and Exercise Medicine. It will also be submitted to a relevant health journal for publication and may be presented at conferences.

• REC name

  London - City & East Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  14/LO/1188

• Date of REC Opinion

  25 Jul 2014

• REC opinion

  Further Information Favourable Opinion